


Heart and Soul

by Awesomemedic78, Desna1



Series: Cat and Lex Sinclair: Breaking Molds [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Desna1, F/M, Gen, M/M, Pradeshverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-09 22:30:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17413748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awesomemedic78/pseuds/Awesomemedic78, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desna1/pseuds/Desna1
Summary: Girl meets Boy. Seith mage meets Beast Master. What happened when a young seith mage meets her soulmate at young age and doesn't realize it until later in life. Cat Sinclair is a moody woman but she wasn't always that way. She met Beck Fashion with she was only 11. Can the fire that started unknowingly when they were children survive adolescence, Grendace and the Steel Council, and the Boscan ban on Seith magic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N This came to me while I was writing What Happens in Sin Doesn't Stay in Sin. With Desna and other's encouragement, I decided to do an overhaul on the Sinclair Sisters and expand Cat's relationship with Desna's Beck Fashion in the Pradeshverse.
> 
> Thank you Desna for encouraging me to write this and helping with editing in places.  
> Thank you Nightmare Senshi (Saraphin) for your help with Hestor and the Hall of Truth.
> 
> I do not own Fairy Tail, the Pradesh's or the Hall of Truth. The Sinclairs are my own creation made to fit into the Pradeshverse.

Heart and Soul

_The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. -  Audrey Hepburn_

 Chapter 1

Kindling

_The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. - Ferdinand Foch_

Grenlow sat in his office of the White Sea in a stare down with a stubborn woman. The woman was more stubborn than a spotted wolf with a bone. He liked the woman. She was a valuable asset to the White Sea. Her seith magic was beyond any seith he knew of yet she was determined to have it her way or no way. He let out a heavy sigh, “Sylvia, dear, you can’t raise two young girls in the woods at your cabin alone. You’re not as young as you used to be. We have the resources here at the guild to give Catrina and Lex a good sound education and magic tutelage here at the guild and you know that. You can even live here. We have apartments and other things to assist you…” he offered but was cut off.

“Grenlow, I appreciate the offer but those two are the last of our clan’s youth. Other than my sister Opal and her husband, Catrina Lex and I are all that is left of Clan Felernas. You and I both know that it wasn’t destroyed by the clan wars. We were too far north in the mountains for the squabbles down here by the sea. Those girls need ME to teach them how to be proud Felernas woman. Cat especially needs me. She has inherited the Sinclair gift of soul magic.” Sylvia rebutted. She was a proud woman. Her blonde hair was already fading to gray. She kept it in a long thick single braid. She didn’t want to accept the welfare of the White Sea because her son-in-law decided to destroy their clan, kill her daughters and attempt to kidnap her granddaughter. It was embarrassing. She shook her head at the master of the powerful guild.

Cat and Lex sat outside listening to their Grammie bicker with the guild master. For two eleven year olds, it was hard to sit still, especially when there was so many mages around to talk to and mischief to get into. Cat rocked back and forth in her seat clearly getting antsy waiting for the adults to be finished with whatever it was they were talking about. “Lex I’m getting bored sitting here. I want to go play. Tito said there are some kids down stairs we can play with that’s about our age.” Cat whined.

Lex looked over at her sister. They weren’t really sisters but cousins. Since their clan was destroyed by Cat’s father when they were six, Grammie has raised them as sisters. “Really you have Tito out looking for people to play with instead of focusing on listening on what they are talking about. It’s not like Grammie is being quiet. I don’t think she knows how.” Lex snorted.  Lex was the calmer of the too. She was cat’s voice of reason sometimes…sometimes.

“Whatever. I’m going to go meet new people. I’m tired of living in the forest with just you Grammie and Tito to talk too and maybe a squirrel or two.” She scoffed as she hopped off the bench and took off jogging to where Tito had told her where there were kids playing.

Lex shook her head, red curls shaking back and forth, “Dummy. Grammie is gonna kill us for this.” She muttered as she took off after the streak of blonde hair.

Cat wandered down the stairs to the first floor of the building they entered an hour ago. She was following Tito her lost soul that has been with her since she was six years old. Grammie wanted her to place him in a totem as she had her little souls but Cat never liked that idea of keeping him in a doll. She liked him free like she was. She came to an area that looked like a feast house to her. People milling about with trays of food, sitting at long wooden tables with chairs and benches. Mages of all ages congregating. She was in awe of it. She hadn’t been in the presence of this many people for a few years. Not since her father destroy their clan. “Sunflower, are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna go in?” a young voice asked her from behind.

The voice startled her. She turned around to find a little boy no older than eight looking at her with wine colored eyes. He had a smirk across his face that spoke volumes of all the mischief he could get into. She returned his smirk, “Sunflower, huh? Why’s that? And who are you shorty?”

The boy snickered, “Your hair, it yellow like a sunflower. And I’m not short. You’re just a giant like my sister, Emi. I can’t help that. What’s your name or should I just keep calling you Sunflower?”

Cat looked at the boy still keeping her smirk, “Cat. Cat Sinclair, shorty. What’s yours? And what do you do for fun around here?”

“It’s Vander Pradesh. I like how you think, Sunflower. Come on let’s go find my older brothers then we can get into all kinds of pranks.” He winked as he ran off. Cat had a hard time keeping up with him because it was as if he would disappear then reappear a little further ahead of her no matter how fast she ran.

“Cat! Wait up!” Lex called out trying to keep up with Cat and her new friend. She ran as fast as she could even with her wind magic enhancing her feet. When she caught up with them, she found them with four more boys one with black hair, one with blueish black hair, the third with dark brown hair and the last one with green hair. They had it all styled in a typical Boscan style, the top half pulled back while the lower half flowed freely.

Cat stopped and looked at the four boys that her new friend brought her too. Tito had told her telepathically these were the kids he was telling her about. She took them all in it had been a long time since she and Lex had been around kids their own age. She heard Lex come up on her left. Both girls were instantly shy due to the lack of socialization. Vander sensing that the two girls locking up took over, “Hey bros. Look what your little kid of a brother found. Two count them two girls. What do you think about that? Not bad for an eight year old, huh? Anyway these are my new friends, Sunflower and… uh, Red.” Van smiled a toothy grin at his older brothers.

All the boys were fascinated by the color of the girls' hair. Not many Boscans had their coloring. Most Boscans had the deep rich browns or the blues and greens, but most of the people lived down around the Grass Sea. They also had the beautifully tanned or olive complexions. The northern clans were fairer in complexion and had blonde and strawberry red hair. The northern clans never ventures south to the Grass Sea often unless the chieftains needed to go. “Wow! Your hair is pretty.” “Where are you two from?” “Can I touch your hair?” The girls were bombarded with questions.

For the first time Cat was speechless and didn’t know what to say. Why are they so hung up on my hair? She thought. She noticed that Van had gotten between her and his brothers. The one boy with green hair was watching the fiasco take place. She noticed that he was holding something in his arms. She shot a look at Lex who just shrugged her shoulders at the argument that was escalating over who found who or whatever. Cat skirted around the talkative boys that were fascinated with hair color. She wanted to see what the green haired boy was holding.

Beck watched as the blonde girl worked her way around his crazy friends. She moved like a frightened deer around a pack of wolves. He agreed with his friends that her hair was pretty, long blonde hair with a few braids in it. He felt his newest patient squirm in his arms and make a mewling noise. “Shh. Its ok fella. I’m gonna get you cleaned up warmed up and find you some milk.” When he looked up from his bundle he meet crystal clear topaz blue eyes looking down at his furry bundle. He noticed the extra circle around her irises, but that wasn’t what got his attention. It was her curiosity that started something inside him to be drawn to her.

“Hi, I’m Cat. What do you have in that blanket?” Cat asked the green haired boy. She was dying to know if it was a kitten. She heard it meow. She loved cats. Her clan was centered around them. He clan tattoo was the Northern Mountain Lion. They were revere by her clan and special. They had a blueish gray pelt with black fur highlighting around their eyes and muzzles. The clan elders taught her that they were the symbol of the Goddess who bestows their clan the soul magic. She looked up into bi-colored eyes, one blue and one gold. She thought his eyes were pretty and definitely unique.

“Uh…I’m Beck. This little rascal here doesn’t have a name. One of our mages found it alone in the northern mountain range. He said it’s mother was killed by poachers. He knew I loved animals and taking care of them so he brought it to me to take care of.” Beck felt a little shy at first but once he started talking about the cub he grew more confident.

Cat’s eyes widened. She was hoping that it wasn’t one of ‘her’ mountain lions but when Beck pulled back the blanket her heart dropped at the site of a scrawny gray and black northern mountain lion. It started screeching loudly at the abruptness of its cocoon being opened. “Can I hold him, please? It’s sacred to my clan…” She looked at him pleading hoping he would understand.

Beck nodded at the blonde and held out his arms to take the bundle of fur. He watched with a fascination at how the kitten instantly calmed in her arms as she cooed furball. He had never seen anyone calm an animal down that quickly besides himself and maybe Cristoff but that was because he was a dragon slayer with empath abilities. He helped him heal quite a few animals. He watched the scene of the girl and the cat for a few minutes, “Um, he seems to have taken to you. Are you from the northern mountains or something? I just noticed your clan tattoo, and what you said about him being sacred.” He asked he had noticed the black mountain lion curled up on her right bicep with its tail curling down and around her dainty wrist.

He watched the sparkle of happiness fade as sadness replaced it. He was only twelve but his beast mastery magic allowed him to feel the spirits of the beasts but he could feel the hazy feeling of humans as well. It was as if he could feel a person’s innermost feelings. He had to concentrate hard on humans. Animals were a lot easier since there was less complex than humans were.  He didn’t need his magic to notice the bubbly delight turn to a sadness before she quickly swept it away.

Cat kept her eyes on the kitten at the sting of losing her clan even though she was just a child, but she tamped down the feelings and focused on the cub. She noticed that it was making noises that meant it was hungry. “He’s hungry. Do you have any goat milk for him? It’s why he’s getting fussy.” She had had her share of baby mountain lions. They were her favorite to play with. They were so cute and energetic. This one is the first she had seen in years and without its mother. It upset her, but she was happy that Beck was caring for him.

“Catrina! Lex! What are you two doing over there? I told you to wait for me outside the guild masters office! We are leaving. Come!” Sylvia barked out as she found her two granddaughters playing with Arman’s brood of boys and one boy she recognized from the Kitsune Clan on the Grass Sea. Sylvia watched the two girls interact with the boys. They were smiling and enjoying themselves being little girls. She took it in. She hasn’t seen them actually play and be children for so long. All the second thoughts she was having about moving to Pelerno with them were washed away by what she was seeing.

The group of boys watched the two new friends they made leave with their grandmother. Vander made the comment, “I call dibs on them. They are my friends. I found them.”

“Van we can all be friends with them. They aren’t going to be exclusively YOUR friends.” Kaleb correct his baby brother with a chuckle.

“Fine by me, losers. I’m gonna find out where they live.” Van said as he faded into the shadows.

What was left of the group, laughed at the antics of the youngest Pradesh. Beck stood there holding the wiggling cat. He needed to find some goat milk. He felt a strange feeling in his chest now that Cat was gone. It wasn’t anything that he could explain. It just felt like a sliver of him was missing. He sensed Kaleb in his mind, _Hey, you ok? You’re looking a little off._

 _I’m fine. I need to get this little guy home and get him fed. Mom probably is gonna kill me for bringing another animal home._ He laughed aloud. “Hey are you guys coming over this weekend to help me remodel the back of mom’s greenhouse for all my animals. She’s decided to let me do that. I guess she’s tired of having a zoo in the house.” He asked Kaleb.

“Yeah Cris Bix and myself will be there. See ya later, Beck.” Kaleb said as the young beast master left the guild headed to Foxhaven. It was the name of the island his clan lived on out on the Grass Sea. Unlike most clans, his was strong and thriving. They protected the white foxes that inhabited the island with them. He was unique among them with his beast master magic. Most of his clan was alchemists, weavers, or spies. His Aunt Minda has been encouraging him, helping him get the training he needs to hone his magical abilities.

“Grammie, why can’t we stay and play with those other kids? I was having fun and that one boy had a mountain lion cub…” Cat whined in a petulant manner.  They had made their way back into the northern forest above Pelerno. Sylvia had built an isolated cabin few miles outside the city limits where the thick temperate species of tree grow such as oaks and maples.

“Catrina, stop your whining and go pack your clothes and anything else that you want to take with you. That goes for you as well Lex.” Sylvia instructed her grandchildren. She went to her own room and began packing her belongings as well. She had taken Grenlow’s offer on moving to Pelerno with the girls. She wanted them to grow as mages and as women. Grenlow had also reminded her that the girls needed to start their Sudehpah training soon as well. Her arguments were soon squashed when Arman Pradesh showed up to speak to Grenlow about other matters. They had tag teamed her and convinced her that moving to Pelerno was the best option for them.

“Grammie…” came Lex’s soft little voice. It pulled Sylvia out of her thought.  Lex was her tamer of the two. Her fine curly strawberry blonde hair reminded Sylvia so much of her youngest daughter and Lex’s mother.

“What is it sweetheart? Come here and talk to Grammie.” She motioned her to come sit on her bed with her. Sylvia could see something was troubling her.

“Um…well me and Cat were packing and…and…the shadows…they came back and took her…” Lex said quickly with a sob in her voice.

Sylvia felt a tightness in her chest and the anxiety grip her throat. No, he couldn’t have come for her. I made sure of it. She calmed her outer self, “Tell me Lex what did you see? Was it like the last time the shadows came?”

Lex shook her head, “No. It was that little boy, Vander I think that was his name. Cat grabbed her bag when he showed up and gave him a hug and they melted into the shadows. Grammie is she gonna be ok? Uncle Dresdan can’t get her, right?” Lex said in a small voice.

Sylvia let out a huge sigh of relief. She knew that Arman’s little shadowquip son wouldn’t harm Catrina. She knew he was a little trickster, like Loki incarnate. She started chuckling, “No, sweetheart. She’ll be fine with Vander. Although I am upset and not surprised that she would do something like this. Did you enjoy playing with those boys at the guild?”

Lex shook her head, “Yes they were fun and the one that had eyes like yours, Grammie. He was really funny. He liked to stick his tongue out a lot.” She giggled at the memory of the crimson-eyed boy with blue hair letting his tongue wagged out of his mouth.

Sylvia watched Lex’s eyes fill with merriment at her memories of the Pradesh brood. Arman had asked Sylvia during her meeting if she would help Bixlow with his magic. He was a rare seith mage from the Grass Sea area. Arman told her the sad tale of his and Cristoff’s clan. How it was wiped out by dark seith mages a while ago. Her heart sank when Arman told her the details on how Kaleb found him wasting away in a dank dark basement on the brink of death in a cage.  He was nine when he was found, scrawny and bony, clinging to the soul of his deceased father and branded as a soul mage in of all places his face.

“He’s a special boy like the rest of them, Lex, just as you and your sister are special. You all need training in your magic to become strong and respected members of Bosco. We are moving to Pelerno and will be living at the guild apartments.” Sylvia explained to Lex.

_____________________

Vander and Cat dropped out of the shadows at the White Sea guildhall. The two were laughing when they came out of the shadows. “Did you see their faces when I had Tito move the glasses over and they missed pouring the water…” Cat was holding her stomach and bent over laughing.

“It was priceless. Then I had my shadows move the food around on the plate when they tried to get it with a fork…” Vander’s laughter matched Cat. They were in the cafeteria playing pranks.

Now they were out by the grass runner stables. Cat looked at the strange looking horses. She had never seen creatures like this. They appeared like horses but they had sharp teeth and feet were more adapted at running across the woven plant fibers of the Grass Sea. “Van, what are these? They are beautiful.” Cat waltzed up to a black one that hung it head out of its stall and let her pet it nose.

Vander’s wine colored eyes opened wide in shock, “Cat no! Not that one he’ll bite you…” The alarm dies on his lips as the black grass runner allowed the blonde to rub its nose without protest. “That one is Kaleb’s and he’s a pain in the ass, so is his grass runner.” Van smirked. He loved to flirt with girls. He knew he was only eight and was still a few years from being introduced to the Sudehpahs for training but he knew he loved to flirt. Cat’s hair is what stuck out to him. He had never seen hair so blonde. Farron’s hair was turning blonde but it was a darker blond while Cat’s was paler.

Cat looked over at her younger cohort, “How do we get to Beck’s I want to see him…er, I mean the cub he has. He’s so adorable.” She made that slip hoping that her partner didn’t notice. Since Grammie had collected them and left back for the cabin in the forest, her thoughts had been stuck on bi-colored eyes and green hair. She didn’t understand why, it wasn’t like all the other boys there weren’t cute. Something about Beck just drew her towards him. She didn’t understand it. She figured it was because he liked cats and she liked cats. When Vander showed up in her bedroom, she had her pack packed up. She asked Vander to take her to where the beast master lived, giving him the lame excuse of wanting to check on the mountain lion cub.

Vander grinned at his newfound friend, “We ride them of course silly. Haven’t you ever been on the Grass Sea?” He looked at her like she had three heads, “How can someone live in Bosco and not have been out on the Grass Sea?” His eight-year-old mind didn’t understand it, but he’d had grew up here his whole life. He shook his head as he pulled out one of the tamer grass runner and hurriedly put its tack on.

He swung his little body up and over the grass runner and put his hand out for Cat to grab on. Cat was already a step ahead of him, had moved Tito in a small bucket, and levitated herself up so she could settle down behind Van. She wrapped his skinny arms around the thin boy who tried to puff himself up to seem bigger. She giggled. “You’re a small fry but so am I. I think we are the same size. One day you’ll be bigger than me.” She mused.

Vander smiled but Cat couldn’t see it. He knew he’d be bigger than her one day. He felt this connection to her that they would always be there for each other. He eased his grass runner out to the small bay that shielded the barns from the brunt of the Grass Sea. “Hold on Sunflower! She’s as feisty as you!” Vander squeezed his legs into the flanks of the runner and let the mare have her head as they jetted off into the Grass Sea towards Foxhaven.

Beck finished feeding the little cub and got it settle into his make shift cage. It was asleep. His mom wasn’t happy about the newest arrival but she understood why he needed to take care of it. His mother, Salya, was letting him refit the back of her greenhouse this weekend. He could move his furry patients out there. “Beck what did you drag home this time that has mom in a tizzy?” his sister Kindra asked.

“Kindra be quiet would ya. I just got it to sleep.” He shot at his younger sister. Both of them heard their mother welcome someone to the house.

“Are you two hungry after riding out here…alone.” Salya said giving the two children that showed up at her home in the late afternoon. She knew Vander but the girl that he had tagging along with him was new to her. She also knew that if the girl was hanging around Vander that spelled mischief. “Vander would you like to introduce me to you little friend? And does your father know you’re all the way out here at Foxhaven?” Salya pinned him with an expertly practiced mom look.

Vander looked right at Salya her mom look was intimidating but he was on a mission. A mission to get Cat out here to see the cub plus he got alone time with his new friend. “This is Cat, Mrs. Fashion. She’s new to Pelerno. She had never been out on the Sea, but she wanted to check on the little cub Beck brought home.”

Cat watched the interaction between the mother and the boy. It made her miss her mother, “Hi, Mrs. Fashion.” She managed to squeak out.

Salya looked at the small blonde girl. She noticed her clan tattoo but wasn’t familiar with it. “What clan are you from Cat?” She asked with a warm smile on her face.

Cat’s eyes dropped to the floor and she answered in a small voice, “Um…Clan Felernas. We were…uh… from the northern mountains of Bosco that borders Iceberg. I just…umm…wanted to check on the lion cub…our clan were the protectors of them.”

Salya listened to the girls responses. She noticed that she spoke of her clan in past tense. She wasn’t going to say anything but she figured her clan must be gone now from those bloody clan wars. She cleared her throat from emotions that were welling up, “I see. Do your parents know you’re out gallivanting around with this little trickster imp?” She chuckled as Vander bristled at the remark. She walked over to the oven and grabbed a plate of cookies. She offered them to the pair. “I’ll get Beck. He’s probably fussing over another animal.”

Beck and Kindra entered the kitchen and seen the guests. The four of them fell easily into conversations about animals, magic, the Grass Sea, and the northern mountains. Beck had taken the trio to his room where he was convalescing a few animals including the mountain cub. Cat was amazed at the little area in his room. He had a couple foxes and a raven with a splinted wing. Her eyes were on the animals but she was glued to him as he showed her each animal. The missing piece she felt earlier was gone. His voice mesmerizing her. Neither Beck nor Cat noticed that Vander and Kindra had left the room for dinner.

She felt her soul tug at him but didn’t know what it meant. She ignored it. She had a burning question on her mind that she needed to get off her chest, “Beck…do you think they understand us when we talk to them?” She felt a little embarrassed asking it, but she was serious when she told Lex that she was sick of talking to the two squirrels behind their cabin. The acted as if they could understand her.

He laughed a nervous laugh, “Of course they understand us. I understand them more than anyone does. I can feel what their hearts want or desire. See my raven here, she wants to get her wing healed so she can take to the sky again. She misses her flock. The fox wants to leave and return to his family. I can see what lies in the heart, feel it. If I listen long and close enough, I can hear the song in their soul. People, I can’t do anything like that. Our emotions and desires get clouded over and haze the truth. So I’m sure your two little friends understand you. I’m surprised they sat still long enough. Squirrels are cheeky little bastards.” He chuckled.

“I know your magic is different than mine. I know you’re a seith mage. You’re eyes give it away, just like Bixlow’s, except when he was younger he was marked on his face. It’s forever there, marking him for what his magic is.” Beck told her with sadness. Kaleb told him about Bix when he found him in that cage. Kaleb and him had been best friends for a long time. He couldn’t remember how long they had been friends.

Cat smiled at him. She really liked this boy. He seemed to understand what she meant. She felt so at ease with him. She could just be herself. Even at home, she couldn’t do that because Grammie expected control and poise. She said a seith mage must control the magic or the magic will control the mage. She didn’t quite understand what Grammie meant by that. She could see human souls and manipulate Tito into objects to help her that was all she could do.

“Beck? Are you and Cat coming down to eat?” Salya’s voice came and interrupted the two youths. The two followed her down for dinner.

“Vander I’ve called your father to let him know that you are out here with Beck. Cat he would let your grandmother know where you are as well, but Vander he isn’t happy with you. It’s too dark to take the grass runner back to the mainland so you two kiddos are stuck here.” Salya explained.

___________________

It was around midnight. Cat couldn’t sleep. She was tossing and turning. This nagging tugging sensation wouldn’t let her sleep. She got up to find Beck’s room. She used her eyes for light so not to disturb anyone. She found his room and closed her magic off. The tugging feeling was lessening the closer she got to Beck. She looked at him sleeping. He looked so peaceful. His messy green locks all over his pillow.

Beck felt someone staring at him while he tried to sleep. He opened his eyes and was met with glowing green eyes. It startled him at first but realized it was Cat’s magic. “What’s wrong? You can’t sleep either?” he asked.

“No…can I…sleep in here with you. It would make me feel better.” Cat asked with a shyness that wasn’t normal for her.

Beck pulled back his blanket and scooted over so she could fit. He was a little taller than she was but she was petite and easily fit next to him. He felt a calm wash over him as she snuggled next to him. He heard her let out a little sigh. He had never had feeling like this before. It was feeling his twelve-year-old mind couldn’t put words too. He knew he felt a little like this with Kaleb but they were friends. Maybe it was different because she was a girl. He couldn’t think any more about it because the sleep that he had been waiting for finally arrived and pulled him under.

Cat felt immensely better as she snuggled closer. She didn’t understand what was going on. She knew she was drawn to him and wanted to be close to him. She felt at peace and all anxieties she normally had when she went to bed melted away as she curled up close to him. Sleep came easy for her.

 

 


	2. Flash Point

Flash Point

Make no mistake, adolescence is a war. No one gets out unscathed. - Harlan Coben

Cat stretched out on her bed. She hated when she slept in her bed alone. It was the only time that her chest had that annoying ache. She smelled coffee and bacon wafting through the air. Tito pulled the blanket off of her causing a cool draft. “Tito gimme back my blanket, you brat.” She protested at the sudden coldness on thinly clad body. She only slept in a t-shirt and a pair of panties. She pulled the pillow over her head and grumbled at her soul companion. He then took the pillow from her. It floated in the air above her.

The pillow smacking her in the face was his answer to more her ass before Grammie voice called out, “Catrina come on you are gonna be late for school.”

“I’m moving! I’m moving! Jeez! Why are you so pushy today!” She growled at Tito. She filtered her magic into him giving him a ghostly green form as she tried to find something decent to wear for school.

“Cat, today it is the day that Beck is signing up for the military. Don’t you want to be there for him?” the apparition stated with a haunting voice.

“Shit! I forgot. We were up late last night talking on the phone about one of his little ducks he found.” She said as she was brushing her teeth and looking for a bottom to go with her loose tank top. She found a pair of denim jeans that fit her just right. Since Grammie had moved them to Pelerno, her complexion had a golden tan and her blonde hair had lightened up to an almost platinum blonde. She let her long lock flow down her back, only keeping two braids on her left side next to her ear. Grammie had told her it was how their clan signified the soul magic keepers in their clan long ago. Cat like the tradition and was bound to keep it going.

“Cat it’s a good thing I’m long dead. You’ve grown into a lovely young woman and keeping me in this apparition form…well it makes me wish I weren’t dead…” Tito laughed and shook his head.

“Oh shut it you pervy spirit. It’s not my fault you died when you were like what 18, 19? And if I remember right, you’re the one who decided NOT to move on and stay with me.” She retorted with a snort. She then pulled her magic back and Tito reverted back to a little smoky mist without a form. He was very obscure in this form. Most people would think that they were just imagining it.

Cat walked out into their living room/dining room area. Lex was already up and perky as ever. She was such a morning person while Cat was more of a night owl. “Sleeping beauty is finally awake, Grammie.” Lex said as she sipped on her tea and ate her bagel with cream cheese.

Cat shot her a glare, “I promised to rise but I refuse to shine.” She stuck her tongue out at her sister. She went over and filled a cup full of coffee and grabbed some bacon while dodging a spoon trying to smack her hands.

“You’ve been hanging around Vander far too long. Sneaking bacon like that before the pancakes are done. What else has that little imp taught you?” Grammie sighed but softened at the girly giggles she heard behind her as she flipped the said food item.

“I’m not an imp Ms. Sylvia.” Came a very familiar voice filled with confidence and sass. Vander hated that ‘imp’ nickname that has stuck with him with the Sinclairs, “I’m eleven years old and already in the Artiste Sudehpah order.”

“That’s very impressive Vander, but that doesn’t make you a full grown man yet. You are still shorter than Catrina and Lex who are three years older than you. Just remember you still have growing to do both physically and emotionally. Plus I’m old enough to be your grandmother and I’ll call you my little imp until the day I die.” Sylvia smiled at the dark hair boy who has become a morning fixture at their apartment, “besides you’re always here. Doesn’t your dad feed you at your house. You are starting to eat me out of house and home.” She lightly chided him.

Vander was used to Ms. Sylvia teasing him about his age and how tall he was and how he ate all her food, but she never once made him feel bad. She just reminded him that he was still a kid, still growing, and she gave the best hugs. It was just as she said she was old enough to be his grandmother. He kinda thought of her as his grandmother. The one that he didn’t have to share with his siblings. Here it was just Cat and Lex. He loved his family but he liked grandmotherly attention he got from Ms. Sylvia.

Sylvia smiled at the three that were sitting at her table. “Speaking of the Sudehpahs, have you girls decided who you want to do the inductions with? I need to know so I can contact their parents and get permission.”

Vander of course just has to put his two cents into this conversation, “Why don’t you just have me. You’ve known me the longest and…” his smile faded with the looks that the girls were giving him.

Lex was the one that spoke, “Vander, you’re like a little brother to us. It wouldn’t feel right. We know your talented but think about doing Emi or Xally’s inductions how would you feel?”

The thought made Vander sick at his stomach. Being intimate like that with his sister, “Gross! I guess I didn’t know that you two seen me that way.” He pouted a little. He had always had a tiny crush on both of the Sinclair sisters. He never once thought that they thought of him like a brother. He wasn’t embarrassed at his feeling, but he was a tad disappointed at the notice.

“I’m glad you understand imp.” Lex smiled at him and tussled his hair, “Would you like to escort me to school?” She made a peace offering. She knew that Cat needed to talk to Grammie without Vander eavesdropping ears. She giggled as she felt his shadows curl up around her and his arms wrap around her as they disappeared into the shadows.

Sylvia looked at the only child left in her home, “And why haven’t you left with those two?” She asked with an arched silver brow.

“Grammie I wanted to talk to you about my induction coming up…” Cat started.

“You want Beck to do it for you?” Sylvia bluntly said. She wasn’t exactly thrill with the friendship that developed between the two but who was she to judge. They were young.

“No. I want you to ask Arman Pradesh if Bixlow could help me.” Cat asked. She really wanted Beck to do it with her but Tito told her to have her male counterpart in magic do it. It would be better.

Sylvia was taken aback by Cat’s request. She knew her granddaughter had a crush on the Fashion boy, but didn’t understand why. She decided to prod a little deeper into her decision, “And why don’t you want Beck to do this with you? You two have been inseparable for three years now. Is there something you haven’t told me, Catrina?” Sylvia gave her a hard look.

Grammie’s suspicious looks always made Cat uncomfortable. It’s like she knew when she was holding part of the truth back. Cat growled at her grandmother, “Fine Grammie. The truth is that when I’m not around him my chest hurt right here.” She pointed to the middle of her chest, right where her soul rests, next to her heart. “I feel better when I’m around him. Tito knows about it and told me not to have Beck do the induction with me but I don’t know why. Is there something wrong with me, Grammie?”

Sylvia let out a huge sigh. She knew what that feeling was. She had it many years ago when she met her husband, Cat’s grandfather. It was the seith magic pulling her heartstrings. She knew that if Cat was feeling this then the Fashion boy was feeling it on a lesser level. Her granddaughter had found her One, her soulmate, and at such a young age. “Catrina, there is nothing wrong with you other than you’re love sick, child. Your magic, our magic, calls out to other souls constantly until it finds the one soul its compatible with. Tito is right on the issue of your induction. If and when the two of you decided to have sex, your souls will fuse and become linked to each other. It’s similar to dragon slayers finding their destined mates, but we don’t turn into lusty creatures that hole up for two weeks with their mates.” She laughed at the last part. Mostly out of nervousness.

“I’ll contact Arman and ask him if Bixlow can do your induction. Maybe it was a good thing you didn’t stuff that horny roaming soul of your in a totem.” Sylvia tacked on.

Cat was still digesting what Grammie had just told her. Her and Beck soulmates. It made the dull ache feel a little more tolerable know why it was happening. She knew that she had deeper emotions for him than just friends. She could almost admit to herself that she possibly loved him, but she argued internally that it was just her hormones talking. She was still young.

____________________

Bixlow was hanging out with his brothers goofing around and teasing Kaleb about his long pretty blonde hair. “Damn Kaleb. Three days in the Immaculate light and you look like some ethereal elf or something.” Bix snorted as his flipped a piece of Kaleb blonde hair.

“You’re right Bix. He does look like an elf. Maybe he go frolicking in the woods later in tights.” Cristoff snickered.

Beck just laughed at the elf comments. His best friend did look more ethereal now with the blonde hair and lavender eyes. His hair just reminded him of Cat who for some reason hadn’t shown up for school. He had seen Vander and Lex because Vander was being the hardest on Kaleb with the teasing.

He was too busy reassuring Kaleb that he looked fine with his elfie hair and pretty pretty princess eyes when he her voice behind him. He heard her asked Bixlow something that made him bristle. He clenched his teeth and his fists. He had never felt this way before. He was usually laid back and casual. Nothing got under his skin. He felt Kaleb place a hand on his should and look him in the eyes. _Beck? What’s wrong? You’re growling and breathing heavy. You look like you’re about to tear Bix in two. They are just teasing me…_

_It’s not that Kaleb._ Deep breath in throw the nose and out the mouth. _Cat asked your brother to do her induction._ That was all he was able to convey before the mindbender was able to put pieces of the puzzle together.

_Beck don’t be jealous. You know that you can chose your partner. She chose Bix. I’m sure there is a reason behind it. It could be something with their magic. You never know. Seith magic is different than most._ Kaleb reassuring his friend. He could feel his words sinking into the beast master as he watched him visibly calm down.

_You’re right. Probably something with their magic. She’s coming tonight when I sign up for the knights._ He was breathing more soothing breaths. She was close enough to make the ache go away. He could smell her cherry blossom shampoo. It made him feel better. He thought of all the things they did and animals she helped he rehab. It was just her induction after her induction they could become more intimate. He wanted her badly and knew that she wanted him just as much. He had already had his induction when he was 13 and helped others with theirs. He wasn’t sure why he was so jealous right now.

Cat was happy that Bixlow agreed to do her induction and he understood the reason behind it. Seith magic could be a fickled thing. She hoped that Beck would understand. She had a little present for him tonight after he registered with the knights. She walked over to Beck who was talking to Kaleb about tonight. She slide her arms around his arm and smiled up at him. He had filled out his body in the last year with muscle. She looked up into his bi-colored eyes and smiled, “Hey you. You excited about tonight? Hopefully when you come out of the Immaculate Light you don’t take on that elven appearance Kaleb did.” She snickered as she heard a groan from the newest blonde.

“Yeah yeah Cat get all the elf jokes out. Everyone else has.” Kaleb rolled his eyes at her.

___________________

That  evening Cat hustled to the Steel Council Headquarters. She didn’t want to be late seeing Beck signing up for the knights. She held a little velvet bag in her shoulder bag. She was excited to give it to him. She walked through the entry point and looked around unsure which way to go.

“Excuse me Miss are you looking for the registration ceremony?” a baritone voice rang through the corridor she was walking down. Cat turned around to see a tall man in a Captain uniform. He had a serious look on his face. She could only shake her head yes because she had a bad feeling about this man as he led her to where there were people sitting.

“Uh…thank you…” She offered her gratitude for saving her from missing this important event, “Captain…”

“Grendace. It was a pleasure to assist you…” he said in the same serious baritone voice.

“…oh sorry how rude of me. Catrina Sinclair, sir.” She introduced herself, “If you’ll excuse me I don’t want to miss my friend.” She quickly excused herself the feeling of dread creeping on the back of her neck like icy fingers.

Grendace watched the petite blonde take off down the hallway. He was a cold and calculating man. He was the head of the Blood Hunters that served as the covert operations for the Steel Council. He was always on the lookout for new members. He was picky about who was chosen and those that were chosen were kept on a tight leash either under his thumb or under the heel of his boot. He made note of the surname.

There wasn’t many Sinclairs in Pelerno. He wondered if it was the same Sinclairs that were famous for their soul magic. If she was of that lost northern clan, he wanted her for the Blood Hunters. He had been waiting for a seith mage to surface that he could recruit. That damn Ambassador Pradesh had his boy tied up in so much red bureaucracy tape, he’d never get a seith mage. Now he had hope. Hope resided in that blonde haired girl.

_________________

Cat looked over the crowd and seen familiar faces. She quickly threaded through the crowd to grab a seat next to Kindra. They had become friends over the past three years. “Hey Kindra. Did I miss anything? I got turned around in the hallways.”

The brunette shook her head, “Nope. They just started lining up.”

“Hi Salya! Hi Ronjin!” Cat sent her salutations to Becks parents with a big smile. She had grown close to both of them as well. She grew to think of them as surrogate parents. She knew her father was still alive but he was the one that destroyed her clan and murdered her mother when she was six.

“Cat we’re so glad you made it. He was nervous that you wouldn’t make it in time.” Salya greeted her and returned the smile.

“I almost didn’t. I got lost in the hallways, but this nice captain pointed me in the right direction, Captain Grendace.”

Ronjin and Salya both bristled at that name. They heard Ronjin’s sister Minda curse that man enough after the kids went to bed. Minda was the General for the AirCorp. Salya looked at the blonde, “Did he say anything to you, dear?” trying to hide her anxiety behind a smile.

“Not really. Just pointed me in the right direction and asked my name. That’s all.” Cat looked at her. She had noticed that Salya smile didn’t go all the way to her eyes like it normally did. She just let the conversation die.

Kindra got Cat attention and push a thin blue ribbon in her hand that she made, “Here. As you requested, are you going to tell me what it’s for?” she asked.

“No I’m not going to tell you, but you’ll see later.” Cat teased her.

________________

Beck was glad to be back home after being selected for the Knights. It had been two weeks since he was inducted. He was proud of the rank he was assigned, Scout of the Immaculate Knights. He was happy to see his family but he wanted to see his friends. After lunch he went out and checked on the back half of his mom’s greenhouse. Cristoff had been watching over his little injured and sick patients.

Cat was told that Beck was home. Kindra had called her. She asked Vander if he could take her to Foxhaven to surprise him. He was happy to take his ‘Sunflower’ anywhere she wanted. She could tell he was still nursing a tiny crush on her. He would never admit to it though. Van knew where her affection was going. She was trying to sneak into the green house but apparently someone has been learning a thing or two since being away for two weeks. She heard his laughter. She melted on the inside every time she heard him. “Well hasn’t someone upped their game on listening.” She chuckled as she walked over to the tall green haired mage.

He was still slightly taller than her now. At fifteen he was filling out more. Cat had stopped growing and only reached the towering height of 5’7”, while Beck still had room to grow. He was still lanky but she noticed the muscles starting to gain definition. “It’s not that I heard you as much as I smelled your shampoo, cherry blossoms.” He smiled and pointed to his nose.

She closed the gap between them. Cat practically jumped into his arms and squealed when he spun her around. She planted a kiss on his lips. She missed him so much. Beck kissed her back and deepened it as he ran his tongue across her lower lip. She let him delve in. Her tongue darted into his mouth.  As the kiss became more heated, she felt a sharp point nip her lip. It surprised her. She pulled back and placed her forehead against his, “So did you become a vampire while you were away?” She giggled.

Beck chuckled as the heat of the kiss faded a bit, “No it just part of being a beast master. My canines got a little longer and sharper like a wolf’s.” He grinned at her showing her his new teeth.

“Oh I have something for you.” She pulled out the small velvet bag from her shoulder bag she carried with her. She handed him the small token, “I meant to give this to you when you were inducted to the Knights but I didn’t know that you would be gone for two whole weeks.” She teased him.

Beck took the small bag. He opened it and found a long braided piece of hair with a blue ribbon threaded through that was tied on both ends. He looked at it slightly confused, but it clicked quickly. Cat always wore two braids in her hair. He loved the gift. It was her giving him a piece of herself to him to keep. “Thank you Cat, but where do I put it?”

Cat giggled and took the braid from his calloused hands. “Here let me. Its suppose to go in your hair. The ribbon is to attach it to yours.” She smiled as she deftly pulled a lock of green hair from behind his left ear. She wound the longer piece of blue ribbon around it securing the braided lock to his green one. She stood back and looked at him. The piece of blonde hair was a stark contrast to his dark forest green. “It’s so you can take me with you, no matter where you go. I remember the woman of my clan doing this for the men in out village.” She blushed and looked at her feet.

He was floored at the meaning of the gift. She gave him something to always remember her by no matter what. His heart swelled even more for her. More than he thought it could at such a young age. He reached down and pulled her chin up so he could look in her blue eyes. He loved to look in her eyes. He could see in them how she felt for him. He lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on her soft lips, “Thank you.” He whispered.

Cat felt his lips touch hers. The tenderness of the moment was washed away by her wanting more from him than the kisses they shared. She licked his lip asking for entry only to be denied. She pouted, “What’s wrong?” as she pulled away.

Beck wanted to go further with her. His body was ready for it. He had already had his induction with Sudehpah two years ago and help a few others with theirs. He wasn’t sure if Cat had went through hers yet. “Cat, have you went through your induction with Bix and the Sudehpah? Because if you keep pushing me I won’t be able to stop.” He said in a husky voice.

The long pause and the fact the she wouldn’t make eye contact told him everything that he needed to know. “You know we can’t go any further than kissing and we both want more than that. Let me take you home. I was wanting to go to the guild anyway, and I wouldn’t mind your company.”

Cat knew he was right. She just had this overwhelming feeling to go further with him in that moment. Grammie explained to her that the pull keeps getting stronger as she gets older. It has been hell with him away for two weeks. “Yeah we should go to the guild. I know some of the guys are anxious to see you. My induction is next week by the way and then three months after that I turn fifteen. Will you go to my registration ceremony then?”

“Of course I will I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He smiled at her. Cat would need to get used to those canines when he grinned.

______________________

“Grammie! Hurry up or we’re gonna be late. Lex and I are both registering for the Knights. I want you to have a great seat so you can see us.” Cat was excited about the registration. She had watched her friends do the ceremony and now it was her turn. Beck was a Scout for the Knights and Kaleb turned into an elf and starting an apprenticeship with Grenlow to become the new guild master of the White Sea.

Even though Bixlow would turn fifteen in four months, he had been excited about registering too. They both wanted to be Knights. Grammie, Cat, and Bix had been practicing hard with their magic. Bix had three souls with him now and was able to move them into totems like Grammie. He preferred to range attack while Cat on the other hand enjoyed the hand-to-hand combat. She was getting good at using Tito as a diversion to attack from behind. They both practiced at the guild when they could. Kaleb had a hard time taking her and Vander on at the same time, but he beat them every time. Vander swore he’d get him back one day.

Lex and Cat found a front middle seat for Grammie to  get comfortable. They went to get in line with the other fifteen year olds. They recognized a few from the guild. Cat kept scanning the crowd of people that were entering the grand hall. She watched and waited but he didn’t show up. Lex noticed Cat’s face drop. She elbowed her and whispered, “Maybe he had to go on a mission for the Knights. He is one of their best scouts, ya know.”

Cat didn’t say anything but flashed a looked that she understood and perked herself up. Cat continued to watch the crowd. She did notice that the Ambassador and Farron arrived and took up residence next to Grammie. It made her feel better that someone was with Grammie. She wasn’t getting around as easily as she used to. Her blonde hair was now completely silver and she was starting to look her age. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves as the ceremony started.

Arman made his way with Farron behind him to the elder Sinclair. He had some news concerning one of her granddaughters and there was nothing he could do about it to stop it. Catrina wasn’t one of his own children. He felt helpless to stop what was going to happened because he was able to stop it from happening with Bixlow when he would register. He looked up at the line of fifteen year olds and saw the platinum blonde and strawberry blonde standing there. He could hear their excitement. “Sylvia do you mind if we sit with you? There is something I want to tell you…”

“Well of course Arman. This old woman would love to have the company of the Ambassador and his fledgling. Whatever it is you need to talk to me about, can it wait until after this ceremony?” Sylvia smiled. Her eyes crinkled, but her face dropped when Arman’s face held a serious look. She knew it was dire with the look on his face, “What is it Arman? I’m not a woman who beats around the bush especially if it has something to do with my girls.” She said with a hardness to her voice.

“Direct to the point as always, Sylvia. My associated in the branches of the military have let me know that Cat is slated to be recruited…to the Blood Hunters because of her magic. I’m sorry Syl. I tried to stop it, but where she isn’t my own flesh and blood I’m helpless to stop it.” He said trying to comfort the elder woman. He watched her bright blue eyes flash with anger then they flashed green. He could see she was pushing her magic down at her surge of emotion.

She went to stand but a strong arm held her in place, “Arman those are my babies and I’ll be damned if that bastard takes any of them.” She growled. Her eyes kept going from green to blue.

“Sylvia you can’t do anything here or they will put you in jail. You know how the Council already feel about your kind of magic. Don’t give them another reason to fear it.” He pleaded.

He watched her eyes maintain a blue color, but wasn’t ready for the tear that slide down her cheek. Sylvia quickly collected herself and put on a brave face for her girls even though she wouldn’t see Catrina for a while.

The three watched the ceremony happen. As predicted Lex was chosen for the Knights. She was happy and bubbly about the selection. Cat watched with confusion as her sister hugged her and left with one of the officers. She looked over at Grammie and didn’t understand the anger that was radiating from her. Did I do something wrong? Do they not want me because I’m a seith mage? She congratulated her cohorts but was bemused at how she didn’t get selected by the Knights and why Grammie was angry. She was so in her head that she didn’t hear the deep voice behind her call out her name a couple times. It was when she felt a solid hand on her shoulder that she turned around.

Captain Grendace was happy with himself. He was able to outmaneuver the Ambassador on this seith mage. He looked over to where Arman was sitting and smiled at him and the girl’s grandmother. Her grandmother looked as if she were ready to tear his soul out of him. He shudder a little at the look. He had never faced a seith mage as powerful as the Sinclair elder, but he made sure not to make full eye contact with those dangerous eyes. He had his prize. “Catrina Sinclair, my dear, you have been chosen for something special. Come with me and we will begin your training.” He said smoothly.

Cat looked up at the man. She recognized him from a few months earlier, “Captain Grendace? What do you mean?” Her confusion allowed her to be herded away from the registration area. She was flanked by two women as guided back another hallway that was the opposite of the one her sister went down.

“Come on recruit. We need to get your testing started.” One of the women said.

Sylvia watched helplessly as the blonde hair slowly disappeared. She got up from her seat, jerked her arm out of Arman’s hand, “Arman let me be. I have something to say to that peacock.” She ambled over to the Captain.

Arman unable to deter his friend. “Farron, go tell Uncle Tesslo what is happening. I may not be able to stop her once she starts.” He ordered his oldest son.

Sylvia may be an old woman at the age of seventy, but she was not one to let her age slow her down. She damn well wasn’t going to let some piece of shit take her granddaughter without a fight. “Grendace, you bastard! How dare you take one of my grandchildren right out from under my nose…”

Grendace grinned at her like the cat that ate the canary, “Don’t worry Ms. Sinclair. We will take good care of her as long as you cooperate and she cooperates.”

Sylvia felt her power surge. She wanted to take this man’s soul and snuff it out under the heel of her boot. She knew the wickedness in his soul. She could feel it without her magic. “Listen here you pompous ass. I know you know who I am and what I’m capable of, don’t you? How would you like it if I slowly ripped out your most intimate and embarrassing moments to let the whole world know? Or maybe make you just a vegetable who doesn’t even know how to wipe his own ass? Hmm…” Sylvia arched her silver eyebrow at the man.

She watched his face pale and his smile faltered for just a moment. He recovered quickly and whispered, “Shut your mouth, you old bat. I have your granddaughter now. If you cause me any trouble I’ll make sure she pays for it, and if she’s anything like you…I’ll find out what I can do to bring the little bitch to heel.” He hissed in a low tone.

Arman heard the whole conversation. It happened in hushed tones that only he was able to hear it, “Sylvia. Let’s go. We can deal with this in another way. I’m serious, don’t give the council anymore reason to mistrust seith mages.” He held onto the elder woman’s elbow and steered her away from Grendace.

“That’s right you old hag, listen to the Ambassador. I would hate to have seith magic banned from Bosco over your little slip ups.” He laughed maliciously and turned on his heel and left them. He saw General Tesslo coming with Arman’s oldest brat. He had a new recruit to ‘welcome’ to the Blood Hunters.

__________________

Six months had passed since Cat was drafted into the Blood Hunters. She was a different person now. During those six months, she found out that seith magic was banned. Captain Grendace had somehow found a loophole to keep her in the training program. She couldn’t complain about the training. Her hand-to-hand had improved to where she was deadly with twin daggers. She kept Tito in a little onyx bead on a bracelet she wore now. She only released him when she was alone in her room. She missed her family but most of all she missed Beck. She missed everything about him, his bicolored eyes, green hair, his voice, his scent. He always smelled like pine and something else she couldn’t place. It was musky and it was him.

She was happy that she was able to get two-week holiday pass for New Years. Cat made her way to the White Sea guild. She thought she was alone until she heard a voice that made her skin crawl, “Blondie wait up or did you forget who was your date to the party tonight?” Seth called out. He made her cringe. He was ‘assigned’ to her as her partner. He had been a Blood hunter for about a year now.

Seth draped his arm over her slim shoulders. He was a head taller than her. He thought he always had to be touching her as if she were his. He watched her like a hawk and if any other male talked to her he would interject himself and run them off. Cat felt so isolated because of him.

Beck was trying to enjoy himself during the guild’s New Year’s party. He was trying to bury the pain he felt that Cat just up and disappeared. He missed her registration party because he got called out on a scouting mission the day before and didn’t return for two days. He still had her braid woven in his hair. It was his little piece of her. He was over by the bar when a faint scent of cherry blossoms hit his nose. He instantly knew who it belonged too. He looked over at the entryway and saw her. He didn’t go immediately to her though. He learned to watch his prey before pouncing.

He watch her drift through the people on the dance floor. She seemed off to him. He tried to focus on her spirit but it was closed off or so strangled he couldn’t feel it. It used to be bright and carefree. What did they do to her he thought to himself. He watch a black haired pulled back in a ponytail close in on Cat. The man was lecherous. He grabbed Cat and drug her over to one of the couch and plopped her down into his lap. He moved her hair and placed kisses down her neck while his other hand glided over her body.

Beck was shocked to watch the scene unfold without Cat smacking the douche bag and then cutting him down with that sharp tongue of hers. He’d watch her do it many times. She showed Beck her softer side but to the rest of the world she held a tough exterior, like her grandmother. Bix told him and Kaleb stories of the two arguing. He said it was like watching to dogs with a bone, neither giving an inch. Gods he missed Bix. He was just perplexed at how docile Cat was being with this man. He seen her whisper something in his ear and excused herself towards the restrooms.

Cat was glad to get out of Seth cringy hold. She made a beeline to the restroom where she knew he would follow. She stood at the mirror. She felt dirty and disgusting. She thought of beck and how he had her feel. He made her feel cherished and beautiful. She stiffened when she heard a familiar voice, “Beck! Oh thank the Gods!” She rushed him and gave him a hug, “I’ve missed you, but I need to be brief or Seth will get suspicious. No matter what you see or hear, nothing has changed between us. I’m a Blood Hunter now,” She showed him her right shoulder that had a new tattoo on a red and black disk, “please understand that I have to deny that I know you. It hurts to say it but I have to protect you and Lex. They will use you against me.” She kissed him as if it was the last time she would ever kiss him. It was heated yet full of sadness.

When she pulled back she wiped the tears from her eyes and straighten her face. She steeled her nerves and put on her mask that she had been wearing for five months, turned on her heels and left the beast master standing in the ladies room.

Beck didn’t realize that he had tears running down his face either. He cleaned them off and left the ladies room. He felt as if his world was crashing down around him. He became sullen and retreated into himself.

Kaleb noticed his friend leaving the ladies room after Cat left it. He pushed mentally to his friend, _What happened in there? You look like someone kicked your puppy or in this case your kitten._

Beck showed Kaleb the memory. _Ouch! My friend. Is there anything I can do to help you? I mean she’s in some serious shit. She’s just doing it to keep you safe._

_I know that Kaleb! But it doesn’t make me FEEL any better! We had plans and now well just forget it. Then there’s that piece of shit with his paws all over her. I saw the bruises on her arms Kaleb!_ He was fuming. He felt his fist clenching and unclenching. He was grinding his teeth. He was starting to see red.

Kaleb wasn’t sure how to proceed with this predicament. Normally, Beck was calm cool and collected, but he was…jealous and hurt by what was unfolding between Cat and the dark haired man. He physical grabbed Beck’s arm and lead him outside. “Beck calm down. It would be bad for both of you if they found out about you two. You know how the Steel Council works to keep their operatives in line.”

“I know but…but…” he couldn’t think straight. He just started crying. He thought at least they were in private and he was making a spectacle of himself. He felt Kaleb hug him. He felt safe and knew Kaleb wouldn’t let anyone see him in this emotional state. Beck cried on his best friends shoulder at the loss of Cat.

“Well figure out a way. I know dad and Farron have looked into the laws, but we’ll work something out.” Kaleb frowned as he held Beck and let him just cry it out. He closed his eyes and reached out to Cat’s mind. He recoiled mentally at the hefty shields she had in place. She has learned quite a bit in six months he thought.

 


	3. Doused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thanks Desna for helping me with this chapter. She helped with some of the editing and background on the clan wars.

Doused

_There is no life as complete as the life that is lived by choice. - Shad Helmstetter_

 

Beck watched Kaleb from afar at the guildhall. He had become gradually infatuated with his best friend since the New Year’s party. He still carried a flame for Cat, but she was off limits to anyone. Every time he seen her she had that dark haired man around then she just stopped showing up all together. He used what channels he could in the Knights, but always came up empty handed or red tape because of her status as a Blood Hunter.

 

He had leaned heavily on Kaleb for reassurance that she was just keeping him safe. Kaleb told him that if the Steel Council found out about the feelings they harbored for each other, they would use that against her. So his emotions for Cat were slowly pushed onto his best friend, so much so that they shared pleasure in his mom’s greenhouse where he converted it to a little animal hospital less than an hour after Kaleb helped his sister with her induction ceremony with the Sudehpah. He kept a calm exterior but on the inside he was hurting. Kaleb told him that he’d share pleasure with him one time and that was it.

 

Afterwards, Kaleb just sat with him. Neither saying anything. Kaleb could read his emotions and knew the root of the issue. Neither regretting what transpired between them. They were taught to learn and explore things and never be embarrassed about their body or choices.  His chest had an annoying dull ache that he couldn’t explain. At this point in time he just gotten used to it.  Beck decided that he would always be there for his friend but keep a certain distance to guard his heart.

 

Lex looked around the main hall. She was carrying something important. She spotted Vander flirting with the McCarthy twins. She made a beeline for the little imp. “Van, sorry to interrupt but can you take this over to Beck for me? If I do it…I don’t know what will happen.” Lex was scared. She knew she was being watched but could never pinpoint where they were. She hugged her little friend and slipped the tiny folded piece of paper into his shirt.

 

“Well, did someone change their mind about me? Does this mean you’re going to stop calling me an imp?” Vander smiled. He felt the paper being slide into his shirt. He felt a slight confusion for a split second but caught on.

 

The strawberry blonde replied with her own cheeky smile,“Not on your life, imp. I gotta go I’ll see you later. I’ll make sugar cookie like Grammie used to make.” Grammie left her alone in their apartment after the ban on seith magic. She missed her grandmother and sister dearly. Van and Cristoff would come over and keep her company most nights.  They missed their brother Bixlow as well, but he was able to get out of the country and into a Fiorian mages guild. She had no idea where either of her family members were until Cat showed up last night in a dark hoodie and sunglasses. She gave her a note to give to Beck and told Lex not to worry about her. She wasn’t there for more than a minute before she was gone.

 

Vander being the genius little imp he was, wrangled the McCarthy twins towards the beast master in question, “Stay right here girls. I need to talk to my buddy, Beck here a sec.” He grinned at the pouts he got but left the twins and slide next to the mage,

 

“Say there, sulky.” He extended his hand out to shake Beck’s hand as he had the tiny note pressed into his palm, “Would you like to join us in the booths?” he said with a wink and left without an answer.

 

Beck was puzzled by the odd question. Vander never shared pleasure when he was with the twins, but he didn’t question anything the shadowquip did. He felt the piece of paper in his hand and slide it into his pants pocket to look at later. He felt another presence come up next to him. This one he knew as well, he knew he had to handle this person carefully.

 

“Kedanza, what do you want?”

 

“Settle down beasty. I just came to sit and enjoy people watching. Something I’ve noticed that you do a lot over here. Any new blondes in the guild today?” the celestial mage asked. Beck knew that Hestor was like a shark in the water when he smelled blood. With Cat not showing up to the guild anymore put Beck on edge. This is what prompted the little silver haired mage to come and needle him a bit.

 

“I’m as calm as an ocean in the midsummer day. Why do you ask? Are you offering something.” Beck countered.

 

“Pfft, please. I’m much too picky about my tastes in pleasure.” Hestor threw back with a tight smile.

 

“Whatever. I got to go check on my babies.” Beck shrugged him off and left the hall. He really did need to check on his animals plus it gave him an excuse to get away from the guild.

He got out to the stables where he knew no one would be around and fished out the little piece of paper. He read the note and his breath hitched just a little. He looked around to make sure no one was around. The note read:

_Beck, I miss you and our little chats and your kisses and your bear hugs. I wanted to let you know I still want you no matter what. No matter how long it takes me. There are things that they are making me do that I don’t like but if I don’t they will hurt Lex. Please keep the braid I gave you last year. It truly is the only thing I have to give you right now. Hugs and Kisses, Cat. P.S I still talk to the damn squirrels when I see them._

 

He folded it back up and put it back in his pocket. His fingers went to the blonde braid that he still kept fastened in his hair behind his left ear. She was right, it was the only thing he had of her. He didn’t know what to do other than make himself into being the best beast master the Knights had. He needed to stop sulking and live life to the fullest because that’s what Cat would want him to do. She wanted him no matter what it would take.

__________________

 

Cat walked into Grendace’s office. She was pissed the asshole called her in there. All he did was make her skin crawl. It was bad enough she had that letch of a ‘partner’, Seth following her around. Maybe she crossed her fingers he would get assigned elsewhere. She was tired of the bruises he left on her, the terrible pleasure, if one who call it pleasure. Sometimes she thought he slept through the whole Sudehpah training. He’d finished and roll over and go to sleep. She walked in and flopped into the chair that sat in front of Capt. Asshole’s desk, crossed her arms and waited for him to say something.

 

“Ahh, there’s my pretty little daisy. How’s Seth been treating you? I see you have new bruises on you. Tell me, were you being a mouthy bitch when you got those? You Sinclair women are alike, stubborn to the core.” He smirked at her. He puffed up in his chair as if he had brow beaten her into submission.

 

“What do you want? I’ve done all the tasks you’ve asked and in a timely fashion. When are you going to get that meathead away from me. He’s starting to think I belong to him. I can’t even pee on my own.” She huffed not acknowledging the statement about Sinclair women being stubborn.

 

“Hmm, I’ll have to address Seth about this new possessiveness. I can’t have him distracted by you. Even though you are a rare beauty even by Boscan standards with that blonde hair and deadly blue eyes. Just like your Grammie, I’d say. But that’s not why I called you in here.” He laid out some glossy 8x10’s on his desk, “I want to know who this is?”

 

Cat held her emotions in check and didn’t even flinch when he laid out three photos of Beck. Each on in a different location, mainly at the guild. She glanced at them,

 

“How should I know. Like I said I can’t even piss without Seth in the bathroom with me. Should I know who that guy is? If you want me to deduce by the photos, judging by the background and the gear he’s wearing, a guild mage at the White Sea.” She hissed. She was seething underneath her façade of uncaring.

 

“He seems very chummy with your sister. What about that braid in his hair? Know anything about it?” he pressed.

 

“Why are you planning on starting a trend? How should I know. He likes braids?” She stared at Grendace with her arms over her chest.

 

“Mmm, maybe I am. I would love to keep a blond braid in my hair. Anyway, I have a new assignment for you. I need you to go to Seven and change a certain Baron’s mind about opening trade up between our countries. The ambassador isn’t getting anywhere. The Steel Council wants to use you and your ‘skills’ to change his mind. Report to me when its complete but stay in Seven until your handler notifies you. Dismissed.”

_______________

 

Cat was able to, for the first time in four years, walk into the White Seas guildhall in Pelerno. Capt. Asshole was being generous and allowed her to return to Bosco. She had magically dyed her hair dark blue and wore tinted glasses to cover her concentric circles in her eyes. She wore her hair up in a double bun style with hairpins holding each bun in place. The hairpins were adored with little chibi fox characters. She had found them in Sin when she was down there gathering intel.

 

She changed a lot over the years. She had honed her magic to a deadly art form. She had become excellent at pulling secrets from people. They either blubbered them out to her while sharing pleasure or she would just rip them out unceremoniously if her mark wanted to play hardball. She didn’t care about the targets any more than a bug on a windshield.

 

After that meeting with Grendace where he showed her those photos of Beck four years ago, she decided that night she was going to lock away her heart and emotions. She went through the motions of living and life. She snorted internally, some life I’ve got. I feel more like a puppet. Go here fuck this person get their dirty little secrets, or go there kill this one so cousin can take the seat of power. Pfft, whatever. She contemplated suicide once but wasn’t about to give Capt. Asshole the satisfaction.

 

She sauntered over to the bar and order a whiskey double shot. She noticed that the guild looked a little light on people. She noticed that the grim faces on some of the mages in the hall. She wasn’t one to keep up on current events in Bosco. She went from city to city, country to country, wherever her handler told her to go. She would look up current news on where she was located for the job.

 

 “Bartender, why is the guild have so few people in here? It’s a Saturday night. This place should be packed.” She asked without making eye contact.

 

The barkeep looked at her like she had three heads, “Where have you been under a rock or something? The clans are warring in the East. White Sea is assisting the military in quelling the violence. Those that you see here are ones that were sent back wounded.” He just shook his head at the blue haired woman and went back to cleaning a glass.

 

“Clan wars? Sorry I’ve been out of the country for four years.” She apologized not caring if the barkeep heard her or not. She left money for her drink and a tip. She knew nothing about these clan wars. The only place she knew she could get info was back at the Steel Council.

 

She hated having to go to the damn Steel Council.  When she arrived to the main headquarters, she froze when she heard a voice she never wanted to hear again. “Well, well, well look what the cat drug home, my first favorite trainee. I’d know you anywhere sweetheart. No matter what color your hair was. I’d never forget your sweet ass.” He growled with that lustful look in his eyes.

 

“Oh please I’m sure you found someone who likes you tiny prick. I know I moved on and found someone with a bigg…oomph…” Cat was interrupted with a hand around her neck. She could barely get any air but stifled any fight. Her hands automatically went to the large hand around her neck. She knew it would give him the satisfaction if she struggled.

 

Seth glared at her with malice in his dark eyes, “I dare you to finish that sentence, bitch.” He hissed at her. She watched him calm down and released her. She knew she’d have bruises. He always like to put them on her, “Besides I have a better fuck than you now. He was supposed to be a prodigy with the Sudehpahs. His ass is much sweeter than yours any day.” He sneered at her.

 

Cat held her deadpanned face, but she had an idea who he was referring too. Her emotions threatened to bubble through her dam she had put into place years ago. She rubbed her neck and peg the tall man with a menacing look. Tito begged her telepathically to let him end the cocky bastard.

 

 “Pfft, I bet he’s all hype because of his ‘training’ and probably doesn’t even know how to satisfy a woman. Besides you were always a three pump chump.” She spat at him.

 

“Fine don’t believe me. I’ll let you have a go at him then you tell me if I’m not right. All the trainers have had their turn with him anyway. I would love to see my two favorites go at it.” He laughed menacing. She followed the dark haired man. She wanted to sink a dagger in his back or let Tito possess the motherfucker or just use her figure eyes on him.

 

Seth led her to a the area where the new recruits were housed. He stopped at one room and opened the door without knocking. She remembered him doing the same thing to her. No warning that he was coming in. He loved catching her in the shower. She saw a figure lying on the bed on its side. Not moving at the intruders. The voice that she heard told her everything she needed to know, “So you came back for more? Didn’t get enough of me this morning?” the voice said. She heard the edge of pain in it that the speaker refused to let rule him.

 

Vander hurt all over. Not from just the training they were putting him through but the torture that his trainer would punish him with.

 

All the trainers knew that he was supposed to be in the Sudehpah Order. They enjoyed taunting and teasing him because of how well trained he was in the art of pleasure. He’d been here for almost six months. He tried to go to his superiors and even Captain Grendace about how he was being treated. No one cared that he told. It just made it worse. The trainers would sometime hold gang bangs with him in the showers. He had taken care of most of them. They were all dead except Seth. He was the last one.

 

This time though when Seth had returned he noticed he wasn’t alone. He had a woman with blue hair up in a double bun style. He couldn’t see her eyes. They were hidden behind dark tinted glasses. He noticed she had a nice toned up body under the tight t-shirt with a ¾ waist black jacket and almost painted on jeans. He noticed that she liked to wear black almost as much as he did. Her face was passive and held no emotion. She didn’t make him feel uncomfortable like Seth did.

 

Cat watched as the man sat up on the cot. He had no shirt on. She could see the hard planes of his chest and abs. The dark hair with red streaks in it and wine colored eyes were the only other clues she had that almost confirmed who this man was. She also seen the bruises on him. Cat knew those were the handy work of Seth.

 

Seth looked between the two with lust-filled eyes. He knew both intimately even though he only got the pleasure for himself and not his partners. He was excited to watch them. He turned to Cat, “Well sweetness, he’s easy on the eyes isn’t he…” His voice thick with desire at the pending show he was going to have.

 

She kept her mask in place, never once faltering showing her true emotions. She released Tito from his onyx bead on her bracelet. She played right along with Seth, “Oh Seth. You were so right. He is a handsome thing. I can’t wait to get my hands on him. Maybe the little imp could teach me a thing or two.” She purred.

 

Vander couldn’t believe what he was hearing or seeing. He only let three people in his life get away with calling him ‘a little imp’. He watched the bluenette walk to him in a sensual manner. She peeled of that tine waist jacket as she stalked him. Her clan tattoos peeking out on her right bicep. He was sitting on the edge of the bed. When she reached him, she straddled him. Her glasses were gone and saw the blue eyes. Eyes, he hadn’t seen since he was eleven. He gulped just a little, making it as unnoticeable as he could.

 

She grabbed his chin a little roughly and jerked his head up to look her in the eyes, “What do you say imp? Teach me something I don’t know. Seth baby, here says you were supposed to be a Sudehpah. Prove it me because I don’t believe it.” She lower herself down and kissed Vander. She was gentle at first but felt him want to deepen the kiss. She let him dive in and take over. She let her hands rove over his body. She found the magic suppressing device. It was the bracelet he was wearing. She broke the kiss and moved to his ear that was away from Seth. She whispered in his ear, “Tito is in place and I’ve already released the bracelet…mmm…” she half moaned in his ear.

 

Vander knew what she did with the bracelet already and had gathered his shadows near the voyeur. The problem was he didn’t want to stop. He used to have a crush on Cat and her sister since the day he met them. She and her sister were two mages that escaped his charms. He felt her nip his lip to make him answer. He only moaned as he already slide his hand under her shirt. She had soft skin over her taut abs. Her skin felt like silk. He really wanted to go further than they already were.

 

 The groan from Seth brought him back to reality, he was then reminded why she was doing this. He wasn’t going to let this pleasure that he was sharing be tarnished by that dick weed. He sent his shadows forward.

 

Seth was suddenly gripped at the wrist and ankles in the chair he was seated in. He was confused by the power. He looked at the couple on the bed. They were still making out. Cat had her shirt pushed up exposing the bra she was wearing. He tried to stand up but felt a pressure in his chest as if someone had pushed him and was now holding him in the chair.

 

“What the fuck!” He raged. He was starting to panic because he had let his guard down and was now caught in a web of shadows.

 

“When did you become a master at shadow manipulation, bitch?” he yanked at his wispy black restraints. He was furious. He had been duped. He’d been denied the show that he wanted to see.

 

A dark laugh erupted from Cat’s throat as she removed herself from Vander’s embrace. She stood up righted her shirt, magic cancelling bracelet whirling around her finger. She purred with a slight pout,

“Oh Seth baby. I can’t manipulate shadows. That’s my father’s powers and well, of course, Vander’s.” She smirked at him as she walked over to the restrained man and snapped the magic cancelling bracelet on him.

 

Cat watched with a fascination at how proficient Vander had gotten with his shadow magic. Using his shadows curl around him and create clothing before her eyes.

 

“Well you’re just full of surprises today aren’t you. What do you want to do with micro penis here?” She tossed her head at Seth who was still struggling to get free. “Can’t have you pulling any kind of shenanigans while we take our pound of flesh out of you.” She said darkly as her eyes flashed green.

 

“Need to move him somewhere that isn’t my room.” Vander said as he grabbed Cat by the wrist and Seth by the shoulder. He shadow jumped them to Seth’s room.

 

The appeared in another room slightly larger than Vander’s. Cat knew this room too well. She speant most of her initial six months in this room with Seth. “Here we can begin because it’s like you said all those times before, Seth, this room is soundproof. No one will hear you beg for death and that release will come slowly for you.” Vander said darkly as his eyes light up to a bright red.

 

She stopped the shadowquip before he unleashed his fury on the man. “Van let me do something first so that he’ll live longer while you do what you do. Trust me it works.” Cat smiled at Seth.

 

Her magic flared in her eyes and on her right hand. She placed her right hand over Seth’s chest and held it there. It cause pain to their prisoner. He screamed a high pitch scream. Vander was beginning to see why. A purple flame no bigger than the soul mage’s hand was slowly breeching its home that was near the man’s tiny black heart.

 

Cat put the purple flame in a small flask. She carried them just for this purpose. Her magic faded. She looked at Vander, “Perfect. Now he’ll last a bit longer than a person that has possession of their soul because now it won’t break under the pain your about to inflict on him.” She explained to Vander whose eyes were wide at what he just saw. He had never seen a seith mage do something like that.

 

“Oh don’t worry, Seth, I know a guy who will take REALLY good care of your soul.” She laughed with a terrifying edge to it. She place a kiss on the evil man’s forehead.

 

She left the room and Vander to do what he needed to do to exact his revenge. She needed to get intel on this Clan war. Cat needed information on Beck. She wanted to know if he was ok. She knew he was still alive by the ache in her chest.

___________________

 

War raged around the Knights unit. Each man, woman and mage fought tooth and nail to keep the clansmen from breeching Dovewing. They knew if that happened the city of White Sea would fall, thousands would die. The problem was Beck’s platoon was pinned down and they were no match for the large army.

 

He had called as many animals as he could to help them fight, but the most important one that heeded his call was a small blue and brown hawk. The small feathered creature looked at him quizzically. It allowed him to attach a note to his leg. “Fly my friend. Get us help.” He hoped the little thing found it target. They were pinned and their numbers were getting smaller against the larger army that seemed to have a never-ending supply of soldiers or berserkers.

 

“That better work, Fashion! I want to be able to walk away from here and go clam diving once more. These stupid fucking clansmen! Just a bunch of prejudiced savages!” the silver haired celestial mage grumbled.

 

“When we get out of here, Kedanza. I’m gonna give you a bear hug.” The beast master chuckled.

 

“The fuck you will! When I get out of here I’m finding my bay window and a good book! After all of this, shit, I’m going key hunting and avoiding civilization for a while.” Hestor retorted. He shared people watching with the beast master from time to time at the guild. He didn’t have anything against the guy. He was just wary of the man infatuation for the same man he held feelings for. He tried to get information out of him about the blonde braid he kept in his hair, but the man was as tight-lipped as the clams he used to dive for when that subject was brought up.

 

“That’s fine. I’d probably get lest quills stuck in me if I hugged a porcupine.” Beck snorted.

 

“Look out they are rushing us again!” Someone called out.

 

The pinned down group survived the last rush but if another came they would be over run. Everyone was running low on magic. They had all made their peace with the Gods, each person was willing to lose their life to protect the citizens of Dovewing. They waited for the last rush that was reportedly coming.

 

“Hestor, if I don’t make it out of here alive and you do, will you do something for me?” Beck asked the summoner with regret in his voice. He regretted not being able to see Cat again. He wanted to hold her on last time. His fingers brushed the braid again. It had become a habit of his since he was deployed in this war.

 

“Shut up Beasty. We’re going home…alive, but if you wish for me to take a message I will.” Hestor said puffing out his cheek and making a scoffing noise. He wouldn’t deny anyone that request, no matter how standoffish he was to everyone.

 

“I know you’ve asked about my blonde braid several time. It’s from someone I haven’t seen in four years. Her name is Cat Sinclair. If you can’t find her, tell her sister Lex for me. Tell her…” he cleared his throat,  “Tell her…I never forgot about her and she was with me the whole time.”

 

Hestor looked at the green haired man. He knew the woman he spoke of. In fact over the past couple of years, she always brought him ‘special gifts’ for his spirits. Their meeting had always been secretive and no one knew about them. He had never seen her with blonde hair. It was always a different color. Hestor was relieved to know that the beast master didn’t harbor deeper feeling for the man he longed after.

 

“Very well, but you can tell her herself when we get home…. Can you feel the heaviness in the air that’s powerful magic? I think your little friend found him.”

 

The remnants of the platoon that was on the verge of breaking watched as a single mage rode hard into the center of the mayhem, White Sea’s mindbender. The raw magical power that radiated off the mage was intense. His normally lavender eyes glowing, platinum blonde hair whipping around in the churning air from the magic. They watched wave after wave of the enemy fall at his feet, blood trickling from their noses, eyes and ears. He held his hands out to his sides and the magic just pulsed, each powerful wave as strong as the one before it mowing down enemies, enemies that didn’t even get the chance to scream before blood sprayed and their lives were snuffed out. Those waves washed over the pinned down forces and while the immensity of the magic was stifling, it did them no harm. Once the magical aura dissipated, all that was left standing among the carnage was, Kaleb Pradesh.

 

The tiny unit rushed over to the man on his knees. Cristoff reached him first. He felt his brother ragged and torn emotions over what he had done. He tried his best to soothe him, “Kaleb it’s ok. We’re safe. You saved us. You saved Dovewing and White Sea.”

 

The mindbender couldn’t help but feel torn. Before today, he was always sure of his magic. Some could have labelled him cocky with it. The ability to reach into someone’s mind and do whatever he wanted. The aftermath of this humbled him, so much death...and every one was on his hands...

 

“Cristoff, look what I did. How could I do this? I murdered over seven hundred of our people, Boscans. Like you and me.” Kaleb sobbed into his brother’s chest.

 

Beck saw how this affected his friend. He could feel the conflict in his spirit. He walked over to Cristoff and put a hand on the blonde, “Kaleb, I know your conflicted. I can feel it but think of the thousands you saved.” Beck looked around for Hestor but didn’t see him.

 

The tiny unit that held off the horde back from Dovewing were gathered by the reinforcements that followed Kaleb’s directions. They were recovered and made camp. Kaleb had finally gotten settled into his tent after the debriefing. He heard someone approach. He knew who it was before the person even ducked his head in, “Beck. Come in.” He was still feeling upset over what he did.

 

Beck came in a sat on the cot next to him. He put his arm around the blonde. “Kaleb, you gotta stop beating yourself up. You did the right thing….mmph…” Lips crash over his own. He was a bit confused at first.

 

_Beck, I know I said once back in your mom’s greenhouse, but I need the comfort and release after what I did. Please just one more time_.

 

Beck just melted into his friend allowing him to deepen the kiss. He had dreamed of doing this again with Kaleb but had been keeping distant. This time it felt different. It felt like they were each being consumed in the moment to make sure that each other were alive.

 

Kaleb knew Beck was harboring an crush on him and he understood why. He knew it was tied to that blonde braid fastened securely in his hair. He knew he was just projecting his feeling for her onto him. Childhood friends he loved and cherished, that was how Beck was, he gave all he was to the people and creatures he loved, and it was why his magic had become so powerful in the last few years.

 

It was why being in his arms now could consume Kaleb, and help him not think about 712 dead clansmen, whose last thoughts of terror still shrieked through his mind. He knew he’d done what he had to, knew those clansmen were out for full genocide, meant to kill every person not of their clans that they possibly could.

 

He’d broken their forces, crippled them to the point they couldn’t go on, those left had retreated, and Boscan airships were bringing forces to take them down, three united clans out to purge Bosco of those who walked the land and any clans who did trade with land walkers.

 

They would have wiped Dovewing off the map, razed it, and then gone on to raze the city of White Sea. So Kaleb knew he’d done what had to be done, but he’d never used his magic that way, had never struck out that violently before, and it had horrified him.

 

He understood now about Vander, how he was haunted by the fact his magic had wiped out his clan, he’d killed nearly 100 people when he was just a toddler, now...Kaleb knew what that felt like, he’d thought he understood before...but now...now he knew he hadn’t understood at all.

 

So he lost himself in his best friend, their bodies writhing against each other in the narrow bed in the tent, both men seeking release...relief from the pain inside them, both knowing this relief would be short lived, but it was all they could ask for right then, their hearts were too broken to hope for better.

___________________

Cat picked up her pace as she hurried along to the airport. She couldn’t get any information about the Clan Wars except that three large clans were practicing genocide across the eastern portion of the country. Capt. Asshole did let her know that it would be ending soon but that’s all he told her as he pushed off another mission for her.

“I need you to go to Fiore and find a runaway heiress. Her father wishes her to be returned to him. He already tried using a native guild and failed. Now he wishes to use other methods.” Grendace informed her dryly. She did note a hint of pride when he spoke of other methods.  Of all the countries she had to go to Fiore was the closest. So maybe just maybe this wouldn’t take as long and she could get back to Bosco sooner and not wait another four long miserable years. She just wanted to catch a glimpse of him, just to quench the fear she had. She hoped he was happy. Her emotions were torn. On one hand she had hoped he waited on her and on the other she wanted him to find someone that made him happy. Only because she would never get free of the Blood Hunters.


	4. Rekindle

Rekindle

_“True love is not a hide and seek game: in true love, both lovers seek each other.” - Michael Bassey Johnson_

Cat sat at an open café nursing her coffee and people watching. She had been in Magnolia for almost two months. She hadn’t found the runaway heiress. Each time she stated, ‘No sign of the heiress. Reports coming about being spotted heading towards Magnolia.’ She knew she was half-assing this assignment. She could be out there actively looking for this ‘missing heiress’. The heiress probably just ran away from home to feel the excitement of not being under the thumb of some pompous Fiorian Lord.

The native guild, her intel provided was technically a guild, but really what are three mages supposed to do. They just took the money and run then reported back to daddy dearest that they couldn’t find her.

This time she was keeping up with current event in Bosco. She read an interesting article about the Steel Council. She was surprised that this information had come to light, but after reading the article she knew how it got leaked. The headline read, “Several Top Trainers at Steel Council Disappeared. Feared Dead.”

She mused at the headline. She knew exactly what happened to them but she’d be damned if she said anything. Vander killed every single one of them. She surmised they found the bodies or what could be labelled as bodies but refused to offer any details to the press. “Oh well.” She said aloud to no one iwht a content sigh. Since being in Magnolia, she let Tito roam free of his onyx bead. He didn’t bother anyone unless he was feeling bored.

She heard a shriek of surprise behind her. She turned to find the source. It was the red-haired warrior that was here at the cafe on what Cat assumed were her days off. Somehow the woman’s dessert landed on the floor without reason. She chuckled to herself, _Tito, that wasn’t nice. Leave the poor woman alone. She deserves that dessert after what she had to put up with between those two mages squabbling like brothers._

_Ugh, fine! I’m bored we haven’t done anything for two months._ Tito answered her through their link. He had a frustration in his ghostly voice.

_What do you want me to do? Go join that crazy ass guild? Do guild mage work? So you’re not bored._

_Well now that you mentioned it. You could and maybe get better details about this heiress. Besides you need some friends…maybe a…what do they call it here…oh yeah a boyfriend or maybe a girlfriend. Never seen you with a woman bet it would be hot…_ Tito offered. She could hear the smile in his voice.

_You know you’re such a pervert sometimes? Do you ever wonder why I don’t let you roam around when I’m sharing pleasure._ She teased him back. She only received a scoff in reply.

The two months that Cat had been following the heiress she learned about this concept of boyfriends and girlfriends, and the prudish way the people of Fiore regarded sexual relationships. It made her homesick for Pelerno and made her heart ache for a certain blue and gold-eyed man. She rubbed her chest absently at the annoyance that was still there. She decided she was going to live as freely as she could here without the Steel Council watching her every move. Normally on these little excursions to other countries, she was only contacted by her handler. She thought to Tito, _Maybe you’re right for once. Let’s go join that guild and for your information I don’t need a, a...boyfriend. I have someone._

She felt the excitement from her spirit. She walked to the check out, paid for her coffee and the redhead’s cheesecake. After she settled the bills, she went back over to the warrior, “Hello, my name is Cat and I’m a mage looking for a guild. I happened to notice you guild emblem on your arm. I was wondering if your guild is recruiting?”

Cat sat in an office that felt like a broom closet because of all the stacks of papers lined up along the walls, on the desk. No sense of organization. Erza, the red headed warrior, brought her here to meet the guild master. She was currently looking at a tiny old man with a staff and smoking a pipe, wearing something that looked ridiculous even if it were on a child.

She knew he may have looked silly but nothing was missed under those aged eyes. She saw wisdom, intelligence, and cunning. “So you want to join Fairy Tail, I have one question for you before I make the decision to let you in. Why are you in Fiore? I know you’re from Bosco. I can see pieces of your clan tattoo. It’s one I’m not familiar with though.”

Makarov watched the blonde carefully. He felt her magical power. It felt familiar to an old friend of his. She hid her eyes under those dark glasses. He found it strange that someone wouldn’t take off those dark glasses indoors. There was more to this eighteen-year-old than what she lets the world see. He noticed she had a good poker face and a bit more mature for her age. She was hardened by her past.

Cat knew she couldn’t hide under that gaze. He pulled her t-shirt off. She stood before the tiny man in her bra and jeans. This man knew enough about Bosco she couldn’t hide the one very specific tattoo on her right shoulder. She turned 360 degree, allowing the guild master to see all of her tattoos. She had added a small fox curled up in its tail over her heart. Not many people that were alive knew about that one. The old man grunted and she put her shirt back on.

“Like I said I don’t know your clan but the black and red shield on your right shoulder. It speaks volumes. Tell me, why is a Blood Hunter here in my guild? Did one of my children do something that offended the Steel Council?” he asked cautiously. Wary of the woman now, “Why expose yourself and compromise your mission?” He asked. What little bit he knew of the Steel Council was they had the secretive black ops known as the Blood Hunters.

“Master Makarov, to be totally honest, I was sent to Fiore to look for a wayward heiress that is probably just holed up somewhere with a man that daddy doesn’t want her to see. I have no idea how long we’ll be here…” Cat explained with a sadness, “And quite honestly, I’m tired of being away from my country, my family, and…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. She felt tears welling up. She sniffled but quickly righted her face.

The blonde woman didn’t need to finish her statement. Her emotions spoke volumes and the tears were the jacket to the book. He wouldn’t push her for any more information. “So you wish to hide? Escape? I’m not sure the even Fairy Tail could hold back the Steel Council, child, but if you wish to grow and strengthen yourself to break away in your own way? The guild can offer you something that you are looking for, a family. A safe haven to grow.” He smiled a soft smile at her. “And is there another with you? You said we?”

Cat nodded her head and wiped the tears that escaped her eyes. She smiled and pushed her magic into Tito to give him a corporal body. He stood next to her with a hand on her shoulder for support. “Master Makarov…I am Tito. Cat’s spirit. I’ve sworn to the Goddess to protect her.” He said with pride and a smile. His voice haunting even with the fleshy appearing body.

Makarov eyes widened. He had never seen a seith mage be able to give a lost soul a corporeal body before. “Well my dear you are full of surprises. It’s nice to meet you Tito.” He cleared his voice as Cat let her magic fade from her spirit.

After some more discussion about her intent with the guild Makarov became energized with excitement, “Now, Cat, where do you want your guild mark?” His eyes sparkled as he help up the stamp pad and stamper.

________________

Beck was out in the newly built conservation center that Kaleb approved just after he became guild master. It had been two years since Dovewing. After they returned from, Kaleb was nominated for title of Wizard Saint and subsequently handed over the position as Guild Master of the White Sea when he turned 20.

Beck was named one of his lieutenants along with Cristoff. That was when Beck suggested that the conservation and rehabilitation center be built. It allowed him to care for larger animals that he either found or was brought in. He had grown in his magic. He filled out his clothes better now with his more defined muscular build. He started weight lifting with Cristoff when they returned. He never was lacking in his muscle tone, but with the need to work with large animals the strength and bulk was necessary. The way it chiseled his body was a bonus. Kindra, his sister made his clothing, buckskin fabric. He wore an open vest and snug pants that sat low on his hips.

He tensed as he felt a newcomer, “Vander? They let you out without a leash?” He teased and smiled at the shadowquip. The scrawny kid had grown up and was deadly with not just his magic. He made anything he wanted out of his shadows including his clothing. His shadow jumping had gotten better. He could void hop further distances. He could keep himself and Kaleb on their toes during sparring. Many times Vander had put them on their asses.

Vander pulled out of the shadows, “Please a leash is a tease. I just come to check on you, man. That’s all. Plus I may or may not have information about a missing kitten of ours.” Vander leaned against a pole in the outdoor pens with a lazy smile on his face.

Beck’s heart jumped. He kept his calm, “Really? A lost kitten and where is this misplaced little creature?” He asked with an arch in his eyebrow and crossed his arms over his broad chest. Vander had told him what happened when he was still a recruit at the Steel Council. Since then Vander had been his bloodhound at trying to find Cat.

“I’m not one to ruin surprises, but call this number and make sure it’s a video call…” Vander smirked and handed him a slip of paper with a number scrawled across it and left with a swirl of shadows.

Beck growled a little at Vander’s vagueness, but looked at the number again. It was a Fiore number. He knew that much. He went to his little office he had set up here and dialed the number.

_______________

Cat kicked at the body that was in the bed with her. “Answer your damn phone, Bix, or I’ll have Tito hide it again and this time you won’t be able to take control of him.” She grumbled. She had been living with the Thunder Legion for about a year now. After Makarov allowed her to join Fairy Tail, she floated from team to team. She wasn’t a member of the Thunder Legion, just a roommate in the brownstone the five of them shared. She shared her room with Bix she felt the most comfortable with him. She tried to share a room with Evergreen but it didn’t work out. The fairy mage was to stand offish for Cat.

The rest of the Thunder Legion were too uptight about other things. For one, pleasure. Both Evergreen and Freed would turn beet red at the mention of it. Evergreen would start fanning herself quickly and look away in a huff and well Freed tried but failed to understand the Boscan way of pleasure. Laxus chose not to get in the middle of the conversation even though he was open about his sexual conquests. She wouldn’t lie, she and Bix weren’t quiet about it either. They would share pleasure on occasion, but he also understood what was going on with her. They shared comfort and pleasure together. He’d also help her with her induction. They had the same magic and both knew of the loss of family because of it. He knew she found her soulmate long ago but with age and well…life, she wasn’t able to be with him. She and Bix confided in each other ways that no one else in Fiore would understand. Cat knew Bix was looking for his One.

The Steel Council had told her to stand down about returning to Bosco for a while. The seith magic ban had been heightened due to a few dark seith mages popping up in Pelerno with a coup attempt. They instructed her to stay put until further notice. Grendace could no longer justify having a seith mage working for the Steel Council like when it first went into effect. So she made Magnolia her adoptive home and Fairy Tail her adoptive family.

The answer she got for her kick was that the tall lanky mage rolled over and pulled her closer for snuggles, “Mmmm, I don’t wanna. I’m comfy and you’re toasty.”

Cat untangled herself from the other seith mage, “You’re a cuddle addict you know that…” Climbing over the man she grabbed his Lphone.  She noticed that the caller requested a video call. Ugh, really who wants a video call at…eleven in the morning. She silently cursed. She elbowed Bix. “Here they want to video call with you. Probably one of those chippies from the other night.” She shoved the phone into a tattooed face.

“Gods Cat why do you have to be so crabby before noon?” He took the phone and answered it. “Hello…” in a gravelly voice. He rubbed his eyes. He hoped it wasn’t one of the mage chasing girls. When he finished rubbing the sleep out, he opened them and looked at the caller. He chuckled, “Well I know you’re not one of those chippies…”

Beck was surprised to have Bixlow answer. It wasn’t what he expected. “Uh no not a chippie. Am I interrupting something, Bix. I can call back.” He laughed. He noticed that Bix wasn’t alone and seen locks of blonde hair next to him. Beck was unfazed that Bix had another person in bed with him or that he might have interrupted the two.

“No man that’s just my roommate. Sleeping arrangements are a bit tight around here, but she’s says she’s happier with me than Evergreen.” He grinned knowing that he was holding back some information. “You want to talk to her?” He started pestering the blonde in bed with him.

Beck thought it was odd that the seith mage wanted him to talk to his roommate, but he got curious when he heard them arguing. After a few minutes, his breath caught in his throat at the sound of the feminine voice. It may have been sleepy sounding but he knew that voice.

Cat had a phone shoved in her face. She started protesting with her roommate, “Bix, I don’t want to cover for you with those damn mage chasing bitches…” the sentence dies on her lip when she saw who was really on the other end. Pale blue eye and gold eye looking back at her. He probably mirrored her shocked expression. “Beck…” She was able to choke out as a hoarse whisper. She covered her mouth with her free hand trying to cover the sob that threatened to spill out. She hadn’t seen him since she was fifteen but she still carried that torch for him.

Beck was just as surprised as she was. He was overjoyed to see her again even if it was just via a video call. “Hi Cat…I’ve missed you…” He smiled a toothy grin at her. His heart felt like it was doing flips.

“I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to contact you or anything. I couldn’t. You understand that your safety means everything to me.” Her shaky voice apologized. She felt the tears running out of the corner of her eyes and down her cheeks.

He fingered the braid in his hair, “Don’t apologize. I understand the why. I never stopped thinking about you, Cat. I continued to live my life as if you were there with me.” He held the braid up.

“You still have it after all these years…” starting fresh cascade of tears and her trying to hold back the sobs of joy mixed with sadness.

“Cat don’t cry because I’m not there to hold you and whisper in your ear everything is going to be ok and kiss away those tears. You’ll have to settle for Bix if you keep it up.” He teased after he cleared his throat. He heard Bix snort and saw a smile peek through on her beautiful face.

“Hey I’ve been a great cuddle substitute for the past year, I’ll have you know.” Bix pretended to be offended. It made Cat laugh and smiled at her roommate.

It brightened Beck up to hear that laugh. It had been so long since he heard anything from her at all. Bix had gotten up and started his morning routine while the couple talked on the phone. Vander had come to see him a few days ago while he was passing through. He had told Van to give Beck his number because the Steel Council wouldn’t link his phone to her. Just watching his roommate’s soul light up after it had been dull for so long, made it worth the risk. He knew they were soulmates for a long time. Sylvia told him long ago how soulmates worked. He knew finding his would take time.

“Bix lets go we have work to do!” Freed’s voice came through his door. Bix wasn’t really into what Laxus had planned for the guild, but his best friend wanted to stage a coup. Who was he to deny Laxus vying to take over Fairy Tail. Cat didn’t know what they were up too. He was pretty sure when she found out he was a dead man. He let her continue to talk while he got ready to go out with the rest of the Thunder Legion.

“Hold your horses, Freed. Sunflower’s man is talking to her.” He yelled out to the closed door.

“Bix if that is some sort of sexual innuendo, I’ll send Laxus in there to electrocute both of you.” Freed huffed.

Bix rolled his eyes and walked over to the door and ripped it open, “Freed get your mind out of the gutter. Seriously man, Cat’s soulmate called my phone. This is the first time they have spoken since before she was recruited for the Blood Hunters.”

Freed was wide eyes at the information Bix had given him. Everyone in the house knew that the two seith mages knew each other from when they were kids. They just assumed they were a couple all this time. “Oh…well…I see…” was all Freed got out before Bix was pushing the man down the hallway to the kitchen.

_____________________

The joy that was in Beck’s heart when they finally ended the phone call was beyond words. It was a meaningful phone call that allowed them to reconnect and rekindle the fading embers of their relationship. Time and distance was hard on any relationship but no being able to see to talk to the object of your affections amplified the loneliness in the heart and soul. He had unintentional projected his feeling for Cat onto Kaleb. Kaleb was aware of what was happening and tried to be supportive. Each man knew their friendship was important and they both cherished it. Beck knew that Kaleb was not his one

He got up and left the office space at the rehab center. He headed to the guild master office with the intent of taking a long awaited vacation. Fuck the Blood Hunters and the Steel Council. They have kept him and Cat apart for way to long.

He made his way to the Master’s office. He was leaving for Magnolia tonight. He entered the spacious office to be greeted by Thane, Kaleb’s loyal assistant. Beck smiled at the man. “Thane, I want to put in for some vacation…”

“What with the sudden rush for a vacation, Beasty?” hummed a prickly celestial mage. Beck knew that Hestor had been taken up residence in Kaleb’s office now for a while. The silver haired man took naps in the bay window. The two men had gotten to be close friends. It didn’t bother Beck at all. He was happy that the difficult man found a confidant in Kaleb. They were good for each other. They pushed each other in ways no one else could.

“Why would you care if I take a vacation, Hes? I’ll be gone for about a week. That would give you seven days alone with Master Kaleb.” The beast master grinned. He knew Hestor was cautious of his and Kaleb’s relationship. Hestor also knew that he had shared pleasure with Kaleb twice in the past. Only because each man sought out comfort in each other for different reasons each time.

Hestor eyes the large green haired man. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him. He trusted him with his life. He just felt different today. His normal gloom and depression was gone and a happier man was shining through. “It’s just your change in demeanor. You seem happier. This wouldn’t have anything to do with a kitten being found, would it?” he surmised.

Beck hide the flinch that Hestor hit the nail on the head. He grinned at the other mage, “Well I had a phone conversation with someone that found a kitten about a year ago, why do you ask?”

Hestor smiled just a little, “No reason. Such a dear creature shouldn’t be on its own for too long. When you see this kitten give my regards to her and that Kek-t misses her gifts.” The celestial mage left Thane’s office and went back into the master’s to the bay window with a click of his tongue.

Thane shook his head, “One week Beck? Are you sure you don’t want two because I’m pretty sure that the kitty cat your talking about isn’t allowed in Bosco right now.” He smiled at the green haired man.

Beck pondered on the offer. He couldn’t do two was due to leave in a week for another scouting mission for the Knights. “No Thane I can’t do two. I’m leaving next week for a job with the Knights.”

__________________

Cat was on cloud nine as she walked to the little open café near the guildhall. She spoke with Beck. He told her how he felt. The only thing between them was distance, the ban and the Steel Council. She was thinking of ways to make it work. Magnolia was gearing up for the Autumn Harvest parade. She was excited to get some coffee and an apple fritter while she people watched. It was her favorite hobby, watching people and souls. Her mind was miles away though on a man that see had only spoken to a few days ago via video chat.

She sat there enjoying herself when she heard some commotion happening over towards the guild. Cat didn’t pay any attention to it because she knew they were having a beauty contest. She figured it was the boys hooting and hollering but then noticed that magical fighting started up all over Magnolia. What really got her attention was Bixlow being chased down the street by the stripping ice mage. He was cackling like he lost his damn mind.

“What the fuck is going on around here? Tito can you find out for me? Something tells me that I should stay put for the time being.” Cat was being cautious. She’d watched Bix over the two years she’d been at Fairy Tail spar with guild mates but it never consisted with him being chased by any of them down the streets of Magnolia.

_Cat, the guild is…fighting…amongst itself. Something to do with Laxus wanting to take over the guild from Master Makarov. The ladies that were in the beauty contest were made stone figures by Evergreen, but they are not anymore. The dragon slayers are stuck in the guildhall with the master._

Cat frowned at this information. What is Laxus doing? Why is he trying to force the old man’s hand. This guild was family to her and a lot of the others in it. She knew he had been acting strangely the past few months. Her and Bix talked a little about it but Bix was tight lipped about what was going on with his buddy. She finished her coffee and fritter and followed the new blonde girl and Happy off towards the large toy store.

She arrived in time to watch the cheerleader fight Bixlow. Cat was not going to participate by picking sides. She could tell her roommate’s heart wasn’t in this fight. The new girl had some hefty spirits but lacked disciple in fighting. She could use some training from a more seasoned celestial mage, but Hestor would have been proud of the Regulus attack that she had Loke put on Bix.

Cat worked her way across town to where Bix had landed after that Regulus spell. She found him lying in a heap of rubble. She bend down and shook him, “Hey dumbass. Wakey wakey eggs and bakey.”

Bixlow groaned. He’d fought Loke before and knew that he wasn’t human, but now that he was a full on celestial spirit, damn, he hit like a truck. “Cat did you catch the license plate of that truck that hit me?” He grabbed her extended arm and hefted himself up and dusted himself off. He knew he was going to have to make new totem for his babies so he just moved their little souls into the beads on the bracelet he wore under his armor.

She crossed her arms and glared at him after she made sure he was ok, “No, but I would like to know what the hell you idiots are doing to Magnolia? I mean really,” she motioned to the large ring of lightening lacrimas surrounding Magnolia, “the Thunder Dome? Do I need to call your dad? What would Grammie say if she knew what you just did? I do need to give the new girl props for beating your ass though.”

Bixlow cringed at the thought of having to tell his father what he did and the idea of having Sylvia know what he did to his own guild mates with his magic. “You’re right, Sunflower, but  let me be the one to tell dad…” The sound of the Thunder Dome exploding made both mages jump. “We better get to the cathedral.” He said.

They arrived at the cathedral to see carnage after a massive fight. Freed came up to the two newcomers and told them what had happened. Laxus was defeated by Natsu and Gajeel. The Thunder Legion defeated by Fairy Tail. Cat didn’t know what to think. Her roommates for the past year plotting this horrible takeover without her knowing about it. “Uh Bix I’m gonna head home. I need some space to think.”

Bixlow’s phone went off while he and Freed were trying to get Laxus up. He was still unconscious after the fight with Natsu so they let him down and he took the call. “Yeah? Oh hey man. No she’s not with me at the moment. She’s heading home. I’ll text you the address. She should be there by time you get there. Talk to you later, man.”

Freed looked at Bixlow, “Who is heading to our home?”

“Don’t worry Freed. He’s here for Cat, not us. Let’s get the boss man to the infirmary so we can patch him up.” Bixlow said hefted the large blonde up.

Cat decided that she was going to soak in Evergreen’s enormous tub while the woman was dealing with her punishment that was no doubt going to be doled out to the Thunder Legion and their Thunder God. She was upset that they tried something like this. This was something that Grendace would have her do, usurp a city’s, country’s government. Granted it wouldn’t have been so sloppy, but it just didn’t sit well with her.

She heard a knock on the door. She groaned to herself, who is here after what happened? Everyone should be at the guild. She got out of the tub and wrapped herself in her fluffy robe and went downstairs to answer the door.

Beck waited after he knocked on the brownstone’s door. He heard movement inside. When the door was ripped open, he could only stand there and gawk at the robe clad occupant. He pulled her into a bear hug. She fit perfectly up against him.

Cat was shocked as she was pulled into a hug. She reached up around his thick neck to return the hug. He had grown so much since she last seen him. He was in a buckskin vest that was open and she could see his well-developed muscles. He was as big as a bear. He towered over her. His green hair was just past his shoulders and the emotions in his bicolored eyes told her everything. “You’re here.” She squealed.

He couldn’t believe that he had her in his arms after all this time. He didn’t want to let her go. It took him two days to get here but it was worth it. “I’m here kitten. I found you after all this time. I owe Vander big time.” He smiled at her, “Come back to my hotel with me. Stay with me while I’m here with you.”

Cat didn’t want to let go of her beast master but she did and ran upstairs to her and Bix’s room and threw some things in a bag. She tossed on an old t-shirt and jeans with some sneakers. She ran back down the stairs and jumped into Beck’s arms with a girly squeal. He carried her off to the hotel he was staying at for the next three days.


	5. Ignite

Ignite

_Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. – Aristotle_

 

Beck and Cat entered the hotel room in Magnolia. The excitement was palpable between the two mages. They hadn’t physically touched each other since they were fourteen and fifteen years old. She threw her bag over on a chair near the lacrima TV.

 

“Beck I’ve missed you so much it made my heart ache.” She turned and said to him as she rubbed the aching spot in the center of her chest.

 

He gathered her up in his arms and put their foreheads together, “I’ve missed you too. I know why you’ve been distant and frankly I don’t give a shit about the Steel Council. They can’t mess with me without messing with the Knights. I don’t think Captain Grendace wants any trouble with General Tesso. As far as you go, I want you, all of you, like I said before your magic, your quirks, everything. I know you can’t go back to Bosco right now because of the ban but maybe one day it will be lifted.” He said quietly, those stunning bi-colored eyes burning into her own with so much emotion it took her breath away. He finally lowered his lips to gently touch hers.

 

The fire that was ignited when his lips touched hers was like a forest fire raging in her soul. She felt it reaching out for his. There was nothing stopping them now except Cat’s fear. Fear that he may not want to be bound to her forever. Fear of what would happen if the Steel Council found out about them. She knew about Vander’s friend and what they did to his wife and child. She pulled back from the kiss, “Beck…are you sure you will be safe because you know what will happen if we share pleasure tonight, don’t you?” She said in a husky tone. She had waited for this man since she met him when she was eleven. She’d wanted him, needed him, every single day.

 

He answered in a rough voice that was laced with that same need she felt.

 

 “Yes, I want you Catrina Sinclair. I’m done waiting for life to bring us together. Since you were recruited as a Blood Hunter, it was like half of me has been missing, torn away and out of reach. I’m sorry I wasn’t there that night when you were recruited. I got back two days later from a scouting mission. I almost died in the clan wars if it wasn’t for Kaleb. I even made Hestor promise to find you and tell you I never forgot about you if I had died. I’ve loved you since the day I met you, but life…life had other plans for us. I’m tired of life deciding my fate…our fate. I LOVE you Cat and I don’t care what happens after I make love to you tonight. I’m done waiting.” He said with a conviction in his voice that was no longer laced with lust. She felt his love for her. She felt his soul reach out for hers and it felt so right, like she was starving for this, her whole being was, everything in her needed him.

 

Beck, sweet kind gentle Beck with his soft eyes of blue and gold, his silky hair the color of pine needles, and Gods he’d grown so much, he was all hard muscle and tanned skin, tall and broad and strong, there was nothing boyish about him anymore.

 

Cat felt it deep in her soul. It was a burning sensation in her chest. He had said he loved her. She started smiling she kissed him briefly and pulled back so she could stare into his eyes,

 

“Wait! You made Hester promise to tell me you loved me? Hestor, Hestor Kedanza? That prickly celestial mage that maintains a three-foot radius between him and everyone around him? That Hestor?” She was giggling. She was acquaintances with the celestial mage because his spirits provided a means to an end for souls she had taken in the past and had nowhere to dispose of them.

 

Beck growled playfully at the blonde he had in his arms, “Seriously? I confess my love for you in a very endearing moment and you pick up on the fact that I made Hestor promise to find you?” He started laughing.

 

Cat snickered, “Well yeah because I’m trying to envision Mr. Prickly finding me and telling me your dying words of ‘Cat he said that he was thinking of you when he died’ and as I sobbed for your death he consoles me with a ‘there there’ tiny pat on the shoulder.”

 

Beck snorted, “I could see him doing that and then wiping his hand off. Oh and by the way since we are on the topic of the prickly pear. He has become a semi-permanent figure in Kaleb’s office.”

 

He moved them over to the bed as he let that bit of information sink in. He didn’t mind getting her caught up on the ins and outs of the guild. She hadn’t been around for a few years and hearing her laugh made his heart sing even though they were talking about Hestor.

 

“Really? That doesn’t surprise me though. I’ve looked at his soul. It was interesting to look at and always reached out for Kaleb’s when he was around. You know he isn’t a dark soul, right. It’s just his keys he has.” She hummed as he nibbled on her earlobe.

 

“Yeah, so enough about Prickly and Kaleb and more about us. Tell me what is going to happen to us tonight…” he said as his kissed along her jawline. His hands were ghosting up her sides. The t-shirt was bunching up under her breasts, but he didn’t mind.

 

Cat was trying to think through the lust that was clouding her mind from Beck’s hands and mouth. She knew that the words would come to her when the time was right but what exactly happened she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t as if Grammie went into detail or there was a book out there on it.

 

“Mmm, you’re making it hard to think. I honestly am not sure what exactly is going to happen. All Grammie told me was that when it happens our souls combine and its forever. No takesy backseys. You’re stuck with me until forever.” She half moaned and ran her hands under his buckskin vest.

 

Beck was listening to her talk. He processed souls combined and forever. He was onboard with it. He wanted her, all of her. He really always had, since he’d met her, first looked into those blue eyes he’d been lost, felt like there was a huge piece of him that she held and only she ever could. The only thing that prevented her from being in his bed every night in Bosco was that damn seith magic ban, but he’d figure something out. He moved to her mouth and kissed her more passionately. That was his answer to what she told him. He let her deepen the kiss. He felt a warm heat in his chest, where the ache normally was, bloom.  It felt incredible. He broke their kiss to pull off that flimsy t-shirt and remove her bra.

 

Cat let out a moan as Beck’s mouth moved to her exposed breast and teased her hardened pebble. One of his hands moved to her other mound and mimicked what his mouth was doing to its twin. She had already removed his vest. She ran her nails over his exposed tan skin with his clan fox tattoos and the added one across the broad expanse of his shoulders. She loved big men, the burlier the better, and he felt so good, perfect, like he’d been made just for her...maybe he had been, or she’d been made for him...her soul blooming under his light. She felt his teeth graze her nipple as he switched sides and pushed her back onto the bed.

 

Beck broke contact from where he was worshipping her sensitive bud. He looked up into what was once her blue eyes. They were ablaze in green. He was mesmerized by the magic emitted by her. He heard her say it, all the way through him he heard and felt it, “I love you, Beck.”

 

He stood and removed his buckskin pants, freeing his erection, and then removing her pants trying not to rip them off of her. He wasn’t overtaken by her magic but his own was driving him. He felt a instinctual need to take her and make her his. His magic normally well under control. He could reach out to animals and feel their spirits and just maybe their souls, but with Cat, it felt different. He had been with other mages to share pleasure, Kaleb, Thessaly, Rowan to name a few but his magic never reached out to them. It kept him calm in some instants but it never reached out for their magic.

 

Cat felt her eyes glowing with her magic but when Beck stood to remove what was left of their clothing she was surprised by what she witnessed. His bicolored eyes were glowing back at her, not the green that she emitted but his own light, bright blue and a golden glow. “I love you too.” He returned in an animalistic voice. She felt his magic reaching for hers. She let her magic go. Let it grasp his and embrace it. She felt shivers when it intermingled, amazed how his stroked along hers like a loving caress.

 

He was still standing looking at the magic that swirled in the air. The greens, blues and golds swirling around them. It looked like an aurora. The immensity of the power shook him. It pushed him to climb back onto the bed and Cat was reaching for him, her hands sliding down his skin, fingers gripping at his hips as her legs wrapped around him. He couldn’t take his eyes from hers, watching as her lids drooped, hearing his own long moan as he slid into her. When they were fully joined as if instinct were telling him, he rolled over onto his back to allow Cat to ride him. He moaned at the sheer pleasure of feeling her tightness around him.

 

Cat was stunned at the suddenness of Beck filling her and then pulling her to ride him. She’d slept with plenty of people at this point, yet it still felt completely new...so...pure and right it made her eyes sting with unbidden tears. She sat for a moment to acclimate to his size but then set a pace that was steady and pleasurable. The magic buzzed around them. It was no longer his or hers but theirs. The words that Cat started chanting words that she didn’t know in a language that was ancient:

 

_Kraftur sem pulsates milli sanna ásts míns og sjálfan mig skapar takmarkalausan og óendanlega tengingu. Láttu okkar skynsamlegustu fyrirætlanir birtast með því að sameina sálir okkar ... að eilífu og alltaf._

 

As she chanted the verse over and over her magic pulled her soul and Beck’s out of their chests and the magic started weaving them together. Green blue and gold strands intermingling until one solid flame floated between them. It then split back into two smaller flames keeping the same brilliance and coloring of the strands of the single flame. The two smaller flames settled back into their respective hosts next to their hearts.

 

“Oh Gods Beck…I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the end of it…” Cat said in a raspy voice. She felt the desire for him building higher and higher. He wasn’t still either, his body moving with hers, those bi-colored eyes still backlit with magic. Her only response from her mate was a low growl as he changed their positions and picked up his paced. She felt her end building quickly from the pace that he was setting and her already heightened state of arousal, so far past any she had ever experienced, it was like the world had been gray and lacking color and now suddenly it was flooding with it.

 

Beck could feel the fluttering from her channel around him as he drove her hard. He had never felt anything like this before. The magic in the air was like a high that increased his sexual desire for her. “Ngh…Cat…Gods so good…” he managed in a low guttural voice. She couldn’t manage more than mewls and gasps in response it all felt so good.

 

He felt her come to her end and he followed her over the edge. The end was like nothing either mage had ever experienced. The magic around them dissipated leaving the two bodies tangled in each other and the bed sheets. Sleep took them easily because of the amount of magic they both expended and the lovers passed out tangled up in each other’s arms.

 

Cat was pulled out of her slumber by a ringing Lphone. She groaned and started to gripe at Bix again about his damn phone, but last night came flooding back to her. Her arm shot out searching for Beck but only finding an empty bed. She sat straight up thinking maybe she dreamt last night, but she looked around. She was in a hotel room that smelled distinctly of her beast master. She smiled at that, ‘her’ beast master. The woodsy masculine smell but she also smelled coffee.

 

She quickly got up and showered putting on her robe. She rustled through her bag and pulled out her brush, a ribbon, and a pair of scissors. She quickly brushed out her wet hair, pieced out a lock out hair and quickly braided it. She secured the braid on the loose end with the ribbon then cut the braid out of her hair. It was near the nape of her neck and the missing hair wouldn’t be noticeable. She went and braided her traditional braids on her left side that she always kept but added a third. The third signified that she was now mated to her soulmate. The first for her clan the second as her status as a seith mage and now the third for the family she is now starting.

 

Beck answered his phone when it rang once and took the call outside on the balcony. He left Cat to sleep, knowing that she was not a morning person. He made coffee from the coffee maker that was already in the room. He would wait until she was up to order breakfast. Hestor had called him to asked if he would help him look for some keys when he returned from his scheduled scouting trip with the knights. He agreed to it since Cat wouldn’t be able to go back to Bosco with him at the end of the week.

 

He sensed her being up and moving around while he was talking to Hestor. He felt her emotions as well. That was something he would need to get used to. He felt her happiness and giddiness over something. He smiled. He ended his call as he felt her moving towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek,

 

“Morning handsome. I have something for you.” She said as she slid around and sat in his lap. It felt so right to him.

 

He kissed her,“Morning Kitten. What do you have?” he smiled at her and her heart warmed in her chest meeting those loving eyes.

 

She smiled at him and reached up into his hair, he turned his head a little, giving her all the access she wanted, not even flinching when she pulled out scissors and cut a braid of his dark hair free before then reaching to where he kept his blonde braid. He felt her playing at the hair there next to it. He watched her eyes dance in merriment as she finished her task, “There. Now you have two. The first one was my intent to be yours, and the second is my vow that I am yours. I will keep yours...proof of my claim and a piece of you to carry with me as you carry pieces of me to take wherever I cannot be. It’s tradition with Clan Felernas.” She smiled at him and kissed him.

 

She drank him in, greedy for all she could get. They were one, and feeling the steady strong soul of her mate as a part of hers was the most profound thing she’d ever experienced. The edge in her, the shaky parts, they were all grounded, solidly held by Becks strong and stable soul, doubts and fears soothed, eased, she could do anything, felt stronger than she ever had before, her magic so firmly grounded and solid...it had never felt so right and strong, so clear and full. His lips under hers moved gentle but firm, he tasted like dew on pine needles on a crisp morning, his woodsy masculine scent making her feel so safe. It was odd, she’d never thought she needed to feel it, never thought she lacked it, but right now...she let it curl through her, the feeling of being complete, loved, safe, cherished, because it filled places in her she’d never known were empty.

 

Beck was taken aback by the deep meaning of the braids. He knew about clan traditions. He was lucky that his clan was strong and thriving, but Cat and her sister were the last of theirs that they knew of. He knew how important traditions were. He deepened the kiss and stood and took her back into the room. The robe fell to the floor and he slid down onto the bed with her, spending the next few hours showing her again just how much he loved her.

 

The week would be too short, he knew that, so he’d give her everything he could, hold her and kiss her as much as the time would allow even knowing he’d never get enough. Their lives, all the years ahead of them he didn’t doubt he would never get enough of her, but he would make sure she felt what he did, that she was his whole world now, and mattered more to him than anything, Grendace, the council, they could all burn, he’d walk through hell to see this woman smile. His Cat, his kitten, and he’d never felt better about the idea he belonged to someone as he did knowing he belonged to her now, and she was his.

 

Beck stretched his arms over his trying not to disturb his now mate, but hearing her soft snores when he moved, he figured she would probably sleep through a train wreck. He shook his head at the blonde and laughed to himself, How the hell does a formally trained assassin sleep so soundly?

 

_It’s because I keep a watchful eye out for her, beast master. Although I’m not sure what to call you now since you’ve mated with my mistress that I’ve sworn an oath to the Goddess to protect._

Beck was startled and looked around the room. He didn’t see anyone or sense anyone in the room. He pushed his own magic out and didn’t feel any creatures in the room. He took a defensive posture in the bed. He didn’t want anything to happen to Cat. He heard the voice again, in his mind as if Kaleb was talking to him.

 

_Relax big man. I’m her spirit, Tito. Remember me? I’ve been with her since she was six. I’m in a sense her guardian angel, but I don’t have any wings and well I’m not kind or sweet or cheruby. Nor do I have a halo. Shit, I’m probably the furthest thing from an angel, more like…her friend she refers as an imp. What’s his name? Xander? Vader? Vander! Yes Vander except, well, I’m a ghostly spirit that only she can hear and now you can hear. Lucky you, beast man._

Beck snorted aloud, “You call Vander an imp? I can see that, but I’ve seen her do other things with you. She’s moved your into objects and had you manipulate them to her advantage. Am I able to do things with you or just talk with you?”

_Don’t know. Sylvia never really gave her a lot of details about the bonding and well your magic is similar yet different than hers. It feels akin to her magic yet I can’t explain it. She can give me a corporeal body for an hour if she concentrates enough. Though that took us quite a while to perfect._

“Can I see you as well? I know she can see you without much effort just like I can feel out for creatures without any pull on my magic pools.”

_Time will tell. It’s not like there is a book for you to read. Grammie has ghosted us since the government out that ban in place. Even the Steel Council hasn’t really contacted her much over the past year and a half. They have really cracked down on seith magic. She and Bixlow have been homesick. She’s missed you and Lex and he’s missed his family as well. They both have created a foster family with Fairy Tail._

Cat started to stirred from sleep. She heard Beck’s silky baritone voice talking. She wasn’t sure who he was talking to, maybe he was on the phone again. When she stretched out and draped herself over his bare chest, she blinked a couple times to clear the sleep. He wasn’t on the phone. “Who are you talking too?” she said with a sleepy voice.

Beck kissed her forehead and ran his hand down her bare back, “Well Tito apparently. I’m thinking more happened last night than our souls merging. I’ve never been able to hear him or talk to him, but now I can. It’s odd yet not.”

Cat furrowed her brow, “Well if you can talk to Tito can I do what you do with animals then?” She was trying to think about the things that Grammie told her about seith magic. The magic as a whole was more than just dealing with souls of the living and the dead. Grammie and her mother would tell her the tell of how seith magic came to Earthland.

Cat thought of the story as a children’s bedtime story. The Goddess wielded the seith magic but decided to grant the mortals on Earthland with her gifts. The Goddess didn’t bless just one individual with all her gifts. She spread them throughout separating them into individual traits as the mages referred to them as time marched on. Some mages could see the future with divination or just simple clairvoyance, other brought luck with spells woven into trinkets, and the ever-popular weather mages. They were all special gifts from the Goddess but the last two gifts that were special. One to call to and soothe the spirit of beasts, on land, sea or air and the other, the ability to see the unseen intentions of human kind, the soul, not even strongest mind mages could read the soul of a person.

She remembered Grammie would say that reuniting any of those powers would create a powerful magic and only soulmates could combine the two magic. It wouldn’t happen in loveless pleasures. The One magic would revel soulmates to each other. So far Cat believed the One magic was at work and had been since she met Beck, but the more she thought about his magic and how he is able to handle and call to any beast got her thinking.

He watched her brow furrow. He could feel nostalgic feeling through their bond, but he wasn’t sure what she was thinking. She had a poker face that he never wanted to bluff against. “You think any harder and the smoke alarm will go off. How about we shower, go get check on Bix, grab dinner at the guildhall, huh, and maybe put some of our magic to the test?”

_Yes please! Not that I haven’t enjoyed the show you two have put on but damn I need to get out of this room. I need to cause mischief and mayhem._

“No!” they said in unison and looked at each other and laughed.

“I’m gonna have to get used to you being able to hear his pervy ass.” Cat laughed.

“Has he always been that raunchy?” Beck asked with a speculative look.

“Yeeeessss! He’s a perpetual 18-year-old boy. Now you can share in my pain.” She tried to look exasperated by putting her hand over her forehead without laughing, but giggled anyway.

An hour later, they finished their shower and were on their way to the Fairy Tail. They figured they better check on the Thunder Legion since Bix took a pretty impressive shot from Loke. It was an interesting walk to the guild from Beck’s hotel. Both mages were feeling things that they normally wouldn’t feel while they walked through town.

Cat felt a calm filtration of the spirit world due to the mixture of Beck’s soothing soul intertwined with hers. She felt more stability in her magic. It didn’t feel unbalanced or one-sided. She let her magic see the souls around them. The colors that used to be dull were now in fact more vibrate and intense in coloration. She also felt something else with it as well. She stopped Beck and focused on one soul in particular, a woman with a small child. Cat felt the joy and happiness coming from the vibrant cyan colored soul in the woman’s chest. That was a first for her. She had never felt anyone emotions when she looked at souls. She usual saw the terror and fear on someone’s face that she interrogated, never actually feeling it.

Beck could see and feel the slightly confused look on his mates face as she stopped their progress to the guild. The faint green light emitted from her eyes told him she was looking at the woman and child in front of them. He sensed the joy and happiness their between mother and child, but then again it was something he enjoyed and still enjoyed with his parents. He pulled her in hugging her and placing a kiss on her temple. “You know mom and dad are going to be thrilled about this, right?”

Cat was deep in thought trying to figure out why she was feeling the emotions the souls carry with them. “Huh? Oh yes oh my Gods yes your parents! I get a mom and a dad and…another sister! Shit! Beck did you just ask me to promise with you?” She smiled a big toothy smile, squealed like a little girl and planted sloppy kisses on the big man as he chuckled at her response.

“Seriously? How do you manage with assassination plots and espionage? You’re goofy as hell honey but I still love your silly ass.” He swatted her round bottom.

They started walking again, “I’m not working right now. This is me when I don’t have to be serious. Don’t you remember how me and Vander would terrorize poor Kaleb? And what I stopped for was I was feeling stuff with the souls I was seeing. It was…like nothing I’ve ever felt with my magic before. I felt the happiness that woman felt for her child.” Cat frown at her confusion.

He grabbed her hand. He knew exactly what she was feeling. “Cat, that’s part of my magic, the ability to feel the spirit of a creature. In animals, I can reach out, attune to it, and ‘talk’ to them soothe them, but in humans, I can only get a sense of what they are feeling. You already have the ability to see and feel the human soul. My guess is that when my magic mixed with yours you are feeling their innermost feelings. Emotions are ok. They are good for you to feel and show.”

“So just like you can talk to Tito? Our magic has mingled a little. Hmm, that could be a problem if the Steel Council sends me on another assassination…” She pondered, “but then again I could use them against the person…I know, how about Captain Asshole just forget about me and never send me on another mission again and we live happily ever after.” She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

Cat let her mate led her into the hall. It was a somber site to see. Every mage was bandaged up in some fashion or another. She spied the Thunder Legion huddled in a corner. She marched right over to the trio. She was not happy at the little coup they tried to attempt. “Where’s the tessla coil? I know he’s the one that put all of you up to this and for what power? To prove he’s better than everyone?” Not one of them would meet her gaze. She glared at each one of them. She knew Laxus was up to something but she didn’t want to pry or cause friction between Bix and him. They were best friends after all so she let it all slide.

Beck felt the guilt roil through the bond. Guilt that Cat knew something was up but she didn’t do anything about it. He growled a little bit. He knew Bixlow and his family for a long time and knew he really wouldn’t have done this unless pushed. “Bix…” The male seith mage just hung his head. Beck wasn't angry with him maybe just disappointed. He pulled Cat closer and kissed the top of her head and whispered, "This isn't your fault. You didn't know what they were planning. You weren't part of their team. Just because you are roommates doesn't make you their keeper. Relax, breath, your guild master will give out the appropriate punishment. Trust in him."

Cat relaxed a little. She knew that Beck was right. She was never privy to the Thunder Legions plans. She just shared rent and a room, but she still felt a tinge of guilt because she didn't ask Bix about his odd behavior lately.

The trio popped theirs heads up as Laxus come from the infirmary. He looked defeated. He strolled out of the guild and the Thunder Legion followed him out. Beck asked Cat to take him to the guild master he had an idea about what to do with the wayward dragon slayer. He could feel the angst between the human and dragon soul. He figured that was what prompted whatever hell happened here.

An hour later Beck came downstairs with a smug grin on his face. He gathered up Cat and kissed her. The kiss garnered low whistles and catcalls. “I gotta go find that lug head. Where would they have gone?”

She led him out to the South Gate Park. Cat hung back and let Beck and Laxus talk after the Thunder Legion said their ‘good-byes’. Bixlow approached her, “You seem much mellower now and is that a green braid I see in your hair? Oh please tell me you and beast man there finally share pleasure…” He grinned at her and then his infamous tongue lolled out showing off the Fairy Tail emblem.

Cat shot him a coy smile, “Hmm, maybe. Why don’t you look at my soul and you tell me what you see…”

Bixlow let his magic flow to his eyes so that he could look at Cat's soul. “Holy shit you did more than share pleasure. You guys bonded! You are so gonna have to give me all the details ‘cause mines out there. I know she is…” He looked off towards the guildhall.

Cat snickered, “I’ll give you certain details and judging by that look you already know who she is. By the way, don’t worry about Laxus. Beck is taking him back to Pelerno tomorrow when he leaves. Kaleb and Cris are going to take care of him.”

Bixlow looked at the two men talking. He felt a ping of jealousy that his best friend was getting to go to his native country be with his family. He felt Cat brush up against him, “Bix stop it. I know what you’re thinking. I’m sending my Promised back to Bosco to my sister that I’ve will have gotten to spend three days with. We’ll manage we have for a couple years now.”

“Promised, huh? Congrats!” the tall mage hugged her. He was happy for her. He knew she had been waiting since she was a child. he'd be damn if he was going to wait that damn long.

 Cat and Beck returned to the hotel room to enjoy their final night together in Magnolia. When they entered the room, Cat was surprised at who was in there. Lex was there with Thane. She ran to her sister and the two women embraced they hadn’t seen each other in years. They hugged and cried for a few minutes then they started laughing.

“What are you doing here, Red? And Thane, oh my Gods…” Cat was flabbergasted. She looked at Beck who was looking smug. She hugged Thane as well.

“Dummy did you think I’d miss the day that you got officially Promised. Thane brought the paperwork. Oh here, Beck, just as you ordered from the jewelers.” Lex handed two small velvet boxes to Beck. She had a hug smile on her face. She had waited forever for this day and wasn’t going to miss it. It wasn’t ideal but nothing about Cat was ever normal. She also noticed that her sister kept the tradition braids of their clan. To Lex that meant everything, more than the Promise rings that she just handed over to her new brother.

Beck pulled out a delicately woven silver ring with three exquisite jewels set in it. They didn’t overpower the silver filigree. A pale blue, shimmering yellow, and glittering green trio of gems nestled together in the center. He slid it onto her right ring finger. He could feel the giddiness and watched her hand tremble.  His hands shook slightly as well. He couldn’t believe he finally official promised with this woman. He felt the bond they shared but to actually have it on paper that they were committed to each other and the rings to show it to the world. He smiled at her showing off his wolfish grin. He knew whenever the ban was lifted on seith magic he was marrying this woman.

Cat looked up at her grinning mate. His elongated canines were prominently displayed as he smiled at her. She took the thick silver ring from her box that has matching gems but smaller set in it. She was full of energy and couldn’t wait to expend it after her sister and Thane left.

With the promise rings placed on the couples fingers, they signed the promise papers with Thane as witness. Hug and kisses were given to the new sister, and Thane gave well wishes. The visitors left leaving the newly Promised alone in the room.

Cat jumped at Beck and wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. The big man capturing her lips as he walked them to the bed. They were going to make the most of tonight, the first night as promised but the last night together for now, one neither forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks Desna for helping me with this chapter.
> 
> Translation for the spell Cat cast:  
> Power that pulsates between my true love and I create a boundless and infinite connection. Let our truest intentions appear by uniting our souls ... forever and ever.


	6. Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was slated to be the last chapter but someone had a hoarding problem that got a teensy out of control.
> 
> I want to thank Nightmare Senshi (Saraphin) for her help with Hestor and Kek-t.

Burn

_Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. -  Bruce Lee_

Six weeks was how long it had been since Beck had been gone since he returned from Magnolia. He didn’t even have time to go home and tell his parents that he was now promised. He was finally on his way back to the guild but not empty handed. He had found an abandoned bear cub while he was out and brought it back with him because it was weak. He had made a sling to carry the tiny cub in. it kept him warm and cradle the ball of fuzz comfortably.

He was able to calm it and find out what happened. Its mother was killed by the dark mages he was scouting for the Knights. His party found the carcass. He let out a growl as he went over what was left of the animal. The mages had taken the bear’s pelt, teeth, claws and only certain organs. His party documented what they found. Beck gave the mother bear a proper burial that the majesty animal deserved. He didn’t care for dark mages normally, didn’t mind hunting them with the White Sea. Poachers though, he relished stalking them with packs of wolves, making them feel like prey before letting the pack he was with corral them in and finish them off. He enjoyed the hunt, the basic instincts the animals survived on.

Beck made it back to the White Sea Conservation and Rehabilitation Center so he could get his newest member settled into and acclimated to the new surrounding instead of snuggled up in his bare chest. He closed the gate to the stall and turned to go back to the guildhall. He made it back to his office and sank into his cushioned chair and left out a long sigh, “Vander, I know you’re there so come on out. I just got back from a long six weeks of tracking some nasty dark mages. How could I possibly be on your radar right now?” He asked as he stretched out his arm making a few popping sounds.

The shadowquip mage appeared in the office. He was semi-impressed that the beast master knew he was there. It piqued his interested as to how Beck could know he was stalking him. He normally was able to track the mage without problems, “How did you know I was here…” Vander started to ask when he saw the other man’s eyes. His normally pale blue eye had flickered a faint green. Vander stood there gaping at the man. He started taking in details, same bicolored eyes, pale blue and gold minus the flicker of green. Dark green hair with his blonde braid…no, two blond braids. He noticed something catch the light on his right hand. A thick silver band with three tiny jewels nestled in it. Vander knew what that ring meant, “Holy shit, Beck! Did you go and get yourself promised? Who’s the lucky guy or girl? Do I know them?” Vander looked at him as if he had no idea who Beck had been in love with for years.

Beck rolled his eyes at the dark haired man, “Really Vander? Are we going to play this game? You know very well who it is.” He watched the other mage pulled up a chair and lean his elbows with his face in his hands onto his desk with an innocently unknowing look. Beck rubbed his forehead and sighed. He was tired, hungry and just a little frustrated sexually because six weeks is a really long time to go with no pleasure. It made him feel a little edgy. He growled a little, “Vander! You know that it’s Cat. Who else would it have been? Now why are you here pestering me?”

Vander chuckled and changed positioned and leaned back in his chair arms behind his head and put his boots up on the desk, “Little testy there are we, hmmm? How is Sunflower by the way? Still classy, sassy, and a little smart assy?”

A smile spread across Beck face thinking of his promised. Their bond was thin being this far apart but he could feel her through it. It just felt like touching her with a thick cloth covering everything. He could feel she was guilty about something, hiding things. This made him pause and wonder what she was doing. He had been feeling distress here and there. He decided not to worry Vander, “She’s still the same Vander, maybe a little more balanced. My magic has helped her find that harmony she’s needed all these years…”

That statement made Vander sit up straighter, “Wait, did you say your magic balanced her out? What does that mean? Are you guys more than promised? I know she’s been after you for years but…. Come on spill the beans. Sunflower never talked too much about you guys.” Vander whined.

Beck chuckled at Vander acting like a petulant child over his relationship with Cat. He knew they had been close growing up, never seen one without the other though. He indulged him though, “Yes Vander more happened than just getting promised. We mated thanks to this ancient seith magic. It was incredible…beautiful. She has some of my magic and I have some of hers. Neither of us knows in what capacity though.”

“So explain to me how you knew I was there because I saw just the faintest flicker of green in just your blue eye. Can you see human souls now or something like that? Like her and Bixy?” Vander asked. He was very curious how Beck detected him. Cat and Bix could just see his soul unless he was actually in the void realms.

Beck scratched his head and looked at Vander. His blue eye had a green flicker in it? That was a new development, “No, I didn’t see it. I’ve never been able to see the human soul. I felt it. I felt your merriment and glee in it. I can feel your excitement right now but it’s edged by a darkness. Don’t worry it isn’t your magic. I can feel your worry about your magic as well, but it’s not that. It’s the Steel Council and what they have done to you and made you do. I feel the same darkness with Cat. I hate it because I don’t know how to soothe and make it better. Now that I’ve felt it from you and her. It feels more like languishing.”

Vander was flabbergasted, speechless for the first time in a long time. Beck had essentially hit the nail on the head. He always wore a smile. He was a make lemonade out of those lemons that life handed him kinda person. He hated doing those assignments that the Steel Council sent him on. They threatened his family if he didn’t do what they said. His partner, Presca, had paid the ultimate price of not performing at maximum effort. They had taken the man’s wife, child, and parents to bring him under the heel of the Steel Council. He shook his head to get himself out of that thought trail, “So I showed up to see if you wanted to join us for a poker game at Lex’s. She’s cooking Grammie’s special lamb meat soup. It’s tomorrow night. See you there.” Without waiting for a response, he was gone in a swirl of shadows.

____________________

Cat was stretched out on the couch at the brownstone she was sharing with the Thunder Legion. Freed and Evergreen were gone for the day. Bix was in the kitchen fixing popcorn. “Hey Bix…what do you do with the souls from those that you’ve, uh…hmm…vanquished?” she asked unsure of really how to asked the question.

Bix laughed as he plopped on the couch with her, “Vanquished huh? I normally don’t have any souls of my ‘vanquished’. The Rune Knights typically take them off to the ERA…wait, were you off on a job for the Steel Council last week?”

Cat sat up and grabbed a handful of popcorn, “I can neither confirm nor deny that I was in Iceberg reducing the population by three. I just happened stumbled across three jars that contain human souls.” She said muffled around popcorn.

Bix looked at her with a deadpanned face, “You just happened to stumbled across three jars of human soul jam and need to get rid of them, riiiiiggghhttt. Well sorry sunflower your stuck with them.” He said as he threw some kernel in his mouth.

“Well shit, my box is getting kinda fu…nevermind.” Cat quickly stopped mind sentence when Bixlow looked at her.

“What box? And why is it getting full? What have you been doing for the past six weeks? You know assassinations are ILLEGAL in Fiore.”

“Who said anything about doing assassinations IN Fiore? You wouldn’t understand anyway. It’s not like I wanted to do them anyway. The orders started coming in a few days after Beck left. I HAD to do them or they would hurt Lex! They can’t hurt Beck. If they did, they would be messing with the Knights. He’s their best scout. Lex is just a reservist, a guild mage with the Sea.” Her voice had raised an octave and was trembling. Her whole body was trembling. She wasn’t yelling at Bixlow. She was yelling because she felt powerless, anxious and frustrated. Powerless to stop the Steel Council from harming her sister, anxious because of the emotions that she felt from the people as she took their souls, and frustrated because she needed Beck, just needed him, physically and emotionally.

She felt the tears start falling down her cheeks. She wasn’t sure when she got into a standing position, her hands clenched at her side, but when Bix wrapped her up in his long arms and just hugged her the dam broke, she sagged into him and sobbed openly.

Bix moved them back to the couch, pulled her in his lap, and just held her, as he would have one of his own sisters. “Shhh, it will be ok, Cat. I know it sucks being away from your family. Remember we are in the same boat there, but we made a foster family here in Magnolia. Don’t forget about them…”

“I…I know…it’s just…that…that I misshimsosmuch…” she was able to blubber out.

Bixlow’s Lphone rang. He smiled when he saw who it was. “Hey man. Yeah she’s been working again. Yep. You wanna talk to her? Ok.” He adjusted Cat in his lap and changed his call to a video call, “Cat someone wants to talk to you.”

Cat wiped her tears on Bixlow’s shirt. She really didn’t want to talk to anyone let alone let them see her in the middle of an emotional breakdown, but when she looked at the small screen she saw those eyes that she yearned to look into and get lost and the dark green silky hair to push her fingers into, “Hi.” She said in a small voice.

“What’s wrong Kitten? Bixy said they’ve had you working again. You’re not used to the emotions that come with the souls are you? It’s wearing on you isn’t it? Annnnd I’m pretty sure you miss me because I miss you and I’m miserable without your crazy ass here.” Beck grinned at her.

All Cat could do was shake her head yes to everything that her mate said. It was all true. She felt the love through their bond. She pushed her love back to him. It made her feel better. She smiled back at him, “I love you, Beck.” It was all she could manage without getting all torn up in her emotions again.

“I love you too, Cat. I’m gonna go now. I’ll talk to you later.” He ended the phone call. Cat gave the phone back to Bix and buried her face in his shirt. She wasn’t crying but she just didn’t feel like being alone right now and he gave the best hugs when she had to settle for someone other than Beck.

_________________________

Beck knocked before he entered the guild master’s office. Thane greeted him. “Good morning Beck. How can I help you today?” he smiled from his desk.

Beck returned the warm smile, “I wanted to talk to Master Kaleb if he wasn’t busy.”

“I just took him and Hestor breakfast. They should be out on the balcony taking in the morning sun. Go on in.” Thane smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He had an idea about the two mages in the office but kept his thoughts under tight wraps.

Hestor and Kaleb were enjoying their breakfast that Thane had brought in to them. Hestor was telling Kaleb about his keys he had found while he was out the past month. Kaleb sensed that Beck had come into his office.  “Good morning Beck.” Kaleb greeted his longtime friend.

This brought a low growl from Hestor, “I thought I smelled the hint of wet dog. Where have you been anyway, you said you were supposed to help me look for keys when you got back for your scouting mission…?”

“Hes, that’s enough. He did just get back yesterday. What brings you here, Beck?” Kaleb smiled at the beast master.

Beck wasn’t about to beat around the bush with what he wanted to talk to Kaleb about. He knew that his friend had made Wizard Saint last year and that gave him the leverage needed to pressure the Steel Council and the rest of the government to lift the ban on Seith magic in Bosco. Not to mention his father and older brother were the ambassadors as well. He also had a backup plan if this one didn’t pan out. “Master, I know that with your seat on the Wizard Saint council you could influence them to lift the ban on seith magic. That would allow for Bixlow and Cat, my Promised, to return home to Pelerno where she belongings. Not living in Magnolia doing Gods know what the Steel Council has her doing…”

Hestor was the one that spoke first, “Wait back up, what did you say about Cat?” He looked slightly surprised. Kaleb did as well. This was the first time that either of the men had gotten to talk to him since he left for Magnolia seven weeks ago.

Beck grinned and decided to play with them a little, “I said that Bixlow and Cat could return home…”

“No that wasn’t everything you said, you sly fox, what did you say specifically about Catrina?” Sharp steel eyes narrowed on him.

“You mean the part where she and I are promised? Or the part that she needs to be home in Pelerno with me? I did say both.” He grinned at the blond and silver haired mages who had similar looks on their faces of surprise.

Kaleb moved first, got up and hugged Beck giving him congratulations on being promised. He knew how much he loved Cat and how long he waited for her. “Have you told you parents yet?”

“Not yet I wanted to talk to you first. I was going to head out after this.” He told Kaleb as they ended their embrace.

“They are going to be so happy for you and Cat. I’ll get on the phone with Dad and Farron see what we can do on their ends and I’ll see who I can persuade on the council. We’ll get both of them back home Beck.”

“Thanks, Kaleb.”

Beck pinned the silver haired mage with a look, “We’ll talk later, porcupine.”

Hestor rolled his eyes and sipped from his coffee mug, “You still owe me your time for hunting keys and…congratulations.” The last part said quietly. Hestor did enjoy the man’s company. He wasn’t touchy feely and maintained an acceptable distance for personal space. He was quite perceptive as well.

_____________________

Cat rifled through her closet and found the medium sized box she had in there. She kept it hidden in the back under some blankets and pillows. She started pulling it out thinking she had the house to herself when she heard Bixlow calling for her, “Hey Sunflower, we’re going over to the guild for drin…what are you doing?” He pegged her with a look from underneath his visor. He saw her trying to hide a box behind her and failing terribly at it.

Cat twisted around quickly trying to hide the box with her body and blankets, “Uh, hey Bixy. Drinks sure I’ll come I’ll be down in a few…”

He walked over and moved the blankets out of the way. He didn’t need to open the box to know what was in there. He could feel the darkness of the souls that were in there. He opened it anyway, pulled out a small jar, and held it up in front of her face, “I’m not even going to ask HOW you got these because I already know that answer. I am going to ask WHAT you are planning to do with them because they sure as hell can’t stay here. You know that if there is just a teensy crack in the seal of one of those jars either you or I are fucked, right. Worse yet Freed or Evergreen because they can’t do anything with a dark soul that’s pissed the fuck off. I know you’ve been working and you have too but you have a serious hoarding problem, right now. What did you normally do with these souls? I know you didn’t keep them in a box in your closet wherever you were living at in Pelerno with Seth.” Bix tried to keep his voice even and filter the anger out of it but it seeped through a little. It softened when he watched her flinch at the mention of Seth. He didn’t know much about the guy. She never talked about him.

Cat took the little jar carefully back from Bix and placed it gently back in the box and slide the box back to its hiding spot. She hung her head like a guilty child, “You’re right about all of it. I never kept these when I lived in Pelerno, and yes, I’ve developed a slight hoarding problem. I’ve been careful with them so that there isn’t any mishaps. I used to bring them to Kek-t. She loved them. She was a good friend that I was able to have and the Steel Council couldn’t touch. Sometimes Ammit would show up too. They loved eating them. It was like bringing them Grammie’s sugar cookies.” Cat wrung her hands as she stood.

Bixlow looked at her as if she had sprouted two more head. Who the hell eats human souls like fucking cookies? He wondered. “Uh Sunflower, who are Kek-t and Ammit and why are they dining on the souls of humans? I mean I remember Grammie’s cookies but souls can’t taste like those confectionary bits of goodness.”

Cat started laughing, truly laughing. “Bix do you honestly think they are human?”

Bixlow scratched his head, “Well yeah. Kinda. They aren’t are they? That would be disturbing.” As he gave her a screwed up face making a pukey face.

“No they are celestial spirits…” She started as Bix grabbed her and dragged her to the guild. He didn’t know much about celestial spirits, but he knew someone who did and could summon them so maybe she could summon this Kek-t and Ammit spirits to rid Cat of her soul hoard.

Bixlow burst through the guild doors, “Lucy! I need to borrow you. Come with us!” He now dragged two blondes up to the second floor and plopped them down in a corner booth.

Lucy huffed, “Bix! What the hell?! Levy and I were in a really deep conversation…”

“Sorry Cosplayer…I need to you summon a celestial spirit.” He looked her in the eyes and felt pretty proud himself for thinking about Lucy helping them.

Lucy looked at him like he had lost his marbles but decided to indulge him in his request, “Ok which one? I don’t have a lot of them. I can’t summon Aquarius today is Wednesday…maybe Loke since you already know him…” the blonde sat there thinking of an appropriate spirit before she summon Plue out. “How about Plue? He’s cute and adorable and loves hugs.”

Bixlow eyed the trembling spirit. This wasn’t what he was expecting. He bent down with his nose to ‘nose’ with the small spirit on the table, “Well does he eat souls? That’s what I need. More specifically Kek-t. Can you just do what you do and get her here before bad shit happens in my house because someone, who shall remain nameless, has a soul hoarding problem.”

Cat just sat there and let the scene unfold. She had only interacted with the other blonde a few times. Mostly answering a few questions here and there about Bixlow and the babies. Right now, she had a front row seat to this disaster unfolding. Bix wouldn’t let her finish talking about the spirits but by the way Lucy was posturing and the expression on her face she was about to unload on the poor guy with both barrels.

Lucy stood up and straightened her clothes and cleared her throat. She was pretty sure the Thunder Legion’s seith mage was intelligent but not in the workings of celestial magic. She took a breath then let it out with a huge sigh, “Plue cannot eat souls! He likes candy! Celestial magic doesn’t work that way anyway, Bixlow. I can’t just call up any spirit I want and bring them here to our world. I have to have their key and a contract with them. If I were to call up, Kek-t,” Lucy shivered just a little at talking about one of the sister of the Beast, “I’d be breaking all kinds of laws and traditions and she might even just eat my soul for the hell of it. You need to talk to her keyholder. Do you know who it is?”

Cat spoke up, “Bix I’m not going to make this easy because you wouldn’t let me finish and just hauled me off to the guild. Think about who I said I would go see when I had these little presents.” Panic had clearly clouded the man’s ability to think. He wasn’t stupid by any means, but a full good sized box of not so nice human souls in his roommates closet had him on edge.

________________________

Hestor was half-asleep in his favorite bay window when he heard Kaleb’s phone ring. He didn’t really listen to the conversation. By the sound of Kaleb’s voice it was one of his brothers so he went back to cat napping.

Kaleb listened to Bixlow tell him about Cat’s dragon hoard of human souls in her closet and how unsafe it was to have in there. He chuckled when he told him about how Lucy had school him on celestial magic. It was when he asked him about Kek-t that he knew he needed to turn the phone over to his window fixture, “Hang on Bix let me get him. No. He’s right here in the window.”

Steel blue eyes cracked as an Lphone was put in face, “What? I don’t want to talk to your brother. He’s yours not mine. Even if he was mine I still wouldn’t want to talk to him.” He groused.

“Hes, it’s more about Kek-t not you.” Kaleb said softly.

He grabbed the phone and gruffly said, “What about Kek-t?”

It was a video call so he saw Bixlow’s metal covered face. He could see the slight anxiety in it. He heard a muffled argument and then another familiar face was in the screen, “Hes! Hi! Miss me? I miss you so much!” Cat said making kissey faces at him. She always enjoyed making him feel uncomfortable.

“Gods woman! You’re promised. I do not want that beastly man of yours to dismember me if he thinks we are doing anything inappropriate.” He paled at the thought of the beast master feeding pieces of him to gods know what kind of beasts he could call.

She chuckled at his antics, “Relax, I love to mess with you and your aversion to being touched. So the reason why I called is I have a tiny problem…” He heard a snort in the background, “Yes small problem. I really need to talk to Kek-t. I have, uh, let’s just say a grand buffet of treats for her and if she feels like sharing her sisters. And for your trouble I may or may not have Stellan honey biscuits…”

A swirl of celestial magic filled the office and Kek-t formed. Her master was talking to her friend. She heard her voice through their connection to their master. Hestor was her master but Catrina was her friend. She like it when the blonde would come over and bring her presents. They were always so tasty and filling. She peeked over her master’s shoulders and looked in to the phone he was holding and saw the familiar blue eyes of her mortal friend, Cat. A big smile spread across her face.

As Cat was bargaining with Hestor to see Kek-t, see saw those familiar red eyes and silky black hair peeking over his shoulder. “Kek-t! There you are. I have a smorgasbord or yummy delicious dark souls for you and if you want you can share them with your sisters. That’s how many I have.” Cat baited the spirit. She knew her weakness was tasty dark souls. She watched those red eyes widen at the thought of having a large variety of souls to choose from while she dined. The phone call ended before she could get an answer but she figured she would have one soon.

Hestor had to abruptly end the phone call due to his spirit picking him up by the shirt. Her tone, though a purr had a quality that he’d rarely heard to it, a begging undertone as she pulled him until their noses touched, “Please, Master?” her head tilted eyes shining in a display that almost made the man sick as she somehow, somehow, managed to look menacing and begging at the same time, “I’ve been loyal, yes? For so long, haven’t I? Look at me, I’m wasting away.” She wasn’t, Hestor knew dramatics, intimately, but the spirit continued to purr in that strange begging tone that unnerved him, “This is Catrina, I enjoy her treats...and it’s been...such a very, very long time...and such a nice, filling, meal.” Her eyes hardened just a fraction, “let me dine on the souls that I’ve been denied so long”

Hestor had never seen Kek-t in such a display. She normally would look at him like she wanted to eat his soul. Begging was beneath her and any of the sisters. He and Cat had struck this deal when she became Blood Hunter and needed somewhere to dispose of the souls she’d rend from people. Her and Kek-t became friends out of convenience. It was a scary friendship for him. Both women who could easily pull his soul out and one that could honestly eat it and not think twice. It made him a little uneasy.

Now she was looking at him with large crimson puppy dog eyes and pouty lips and a slight whine, “Please…” she whined again. Hestor wasn’t sure how his spirit could look so pitiful and make him feel as if he were a terrible master, all while fearing for his life.

Hestor let out a long sigh, “Fine, Kek-t we will help your…friend.”

_____________________

Beck was at his childhood home with his mother, Salya and sister Kendra. His father was still out working on the Grass Sea. He had told his mother that he had gotten promised before going out on his long scouting mission. Salya had not taken it well that her oldest child had went out and gotten promised on a whim, but when he told her it was Catrina Sinclair, she knew it wasn’t on a whim. She knew her son was in love with that Sinclair girl since they were children. She was happy for them both. He had explained the blonde braids in his hair. She noticed that he now sported two of them. She hugged him after he told her. She was proud of the man she raised. She raised him to be a good man and uphold clan traditions.

Kendra was excited about getting two new sisters. Cat was now her sister and since it was now just her and Lex, the Fashions would gladly welcome Lex in as well. The two women were chatting to him as he sipped his coffee, “Beck when should me and your father expect grandbabies?” Salya asked casually while she prepared lunch, as someone would ask about the weather.

That question almost made Beck spit the coffee all over the table. He wasn’t sure how to answer that question. He and Cat hadn’t really had a chance to talk about children. He wasn’t opposed to kids. He would love to have them, but he wasn’t sure how she felt about them. He knew her magic was inherited so any children they would have would have a fifty percent chance of being a seith mage. This made him want to rid the country of that damn ban on seith magic because it would exclude any children he had with her. He answered his mother question the best he could, “Mom we haven’t talked about kids yet.” He smiled at her as he got up and hugged her.

Thane arrived on Fox Haven just outside the Fashion’s home. He knocked on the door and waited. Beck answered the door, “Afternoon Thane. Come on in mom is fixing lunch if you have time…”

The teleport mage smiled at Beck, “Thank you, but I just had lunch and I came to retrieve you actually. Master Kaleb requires you at the guildhall as soon as possible. Everything is ok, but things will be happening that may require your assistance.”


	7. Flames

Flames

_Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light. -  Albert Schweitzer_

It had been few weeks since Bixlow had lost his shit about the box of soul ‘jelly’ Cat had stashed in her closet. She was sitting with her knees splayed out like a frog in front of the closet staring at yet another fucking jar to add to the ‘collection’. This one she didn’t want to add to it. She didn’t ‘neutralize’ this one. She found it in the basement she was using as an escape route. A little white flame just hanging out there as if it didn’t know what to do.

Cat thought it was a lost soul. She’d ran into plenty of them and helped them moved on. This little white flame was not a lost soul. It was pure white. It didn’t know that it needed to move on or how to communicate with her. It just flickered in the jar like a tea light, no malice or joy. Nothing. It was as if it hadn’t been born yet. She let out a huge sigh and placed it in the stupid box. She didn’t like it there but she had nowhere else to put it. She planned to talk to Bixlow about it but he’d been too busy with the Thunder Legion and S-rank Trials with Freed to focus. Besides, they were leaving later on for Tenrou Island for the trails. She planned to discuss the tiny flame when he returned in a few days.

Voices drifted into her bedroom as she closed the closet door. Cat had taken over Laxus’s room on the first floor when he left for Bosco even though she still would sneak up for cuddles from Bixlow every now and then when she felt really lonely. She stood up and straightened her clothes. She went to her bedroom door and seen her visitors. Bix had told her Cristoff may stop by today, but she wasn’t expecting who was with him. She decided she would play a little game as a devious grin slid across her face. She disappeared from the doorway.

Cristoff and Beck arrived at the brownstone where the Thunder Legion lived. Beck could feel the sadness, regret and confusion from her. He could tell by their link she was deep in thought over something and whatever it was weighed heavily on her mind, but it changed quickly to something else. “Cris, do you mind staying here? I’ll go get her and this ‘hoard’ of hers. Then we can go.”

Cristoff grinned at the other man, “Sure man take all the time you need. Bix said he’d be down at the guild docks. I’m gonna see if I can talk him into coming along too. It would be good for him.” He winked and left with a wave. He could feel the pent up sexual frustration from the beast master.

Beck waved to the lunar slayer and turned his attention back to his promised. He breathed in the scents in the house. He could smell the Thunder Legion and Cat mingled throughout the brownstone, but her cherry blossom scent was strongest in the lower bedroom. It almost felt like he was hunting her and that made his primal instincts heighten and give in to a more animalistic edge to his desires for her. The thrill of the hunt gave him a natural high, but coupled with the hunger being pushed through the bond to him. He was buzzing. His pupil dilated as he stalked her.

_Big man! Good to see your back. I was wanting to ask you some questions…_

“Not right now Tito. I don’t want to talk to you unless you know exactly where she is in this house.” Beck snarled just a little at being interrupted in his hunt.

Tito snickered _, Uh, sure, rat her out got it. Master bedroom is hers now, but that’s all I’m telling…you…Ok fine if you weren’t gonna stick around for directions, fine._ He watched his mistress’s mate take off after her in her bedroom. He knew she was lying in wait for him and they may be in there for a few hours at least. He sighed, _Ok now I’m gonna be bored. My five buddies are gonna be gone for a few days._ He heard growls and moans coming from the master bedroom. _Was that ripping I heard? By the Gods you two are like animals…_. He shrugged. _I wonder what I could do to Ever’s room before she gets back._ He said with a devious smile. He knew he couldn’t get into Freed’s room. The damn rune mage had protected it against beings like him.

___________________

Kaleb approached the silver haired mage lounging on his couch with a book in his hand and cup of his favorite tea. He sat down next to him. He had agreed to allow Cristoff to bring Cat and her box of souls to his office. He was hoping that Bix would come as well but it was a long shot. He knew that his brother was gearing up for S-rank trials and helping Freed.

It had taken him two weeks to get everything in order for this unorthodox meeting. Hestor had filled him in a little. He had told him that Cat approached him shortly after she was recruited to the Blood Hunters. She was nervous about what she was carrying in her bag, but she had done some research on his keys and knew that the sisters of the Beast he carried would help her with her ‘little’ issue. So he brought the blonde back to his apartment where he knew no one would bother them.

Cat looked around the dark apartment and mused at the gothic décor with jewel tones accenting everywhere. She noticed a large bay window with multiple pillows in purples blues and greens. The space smelled like a certain spice Grammie used when she made her sugar cookies and notes of the sea. She noticed depictions of the sea in artwork hung on the wall. Hestor had great taste in decorating, but the dark gothic overtones. She couldn’t resist, “So are you going to show me your coffin in the bedroom where you sleep?” She grinned as the stellar mage prickled.

Hestor pinned her with a steely blue glare, but the blonde didn’t waiver, “Do you want my assistance or not? Because insinuating that I’m a vampire isn’t going to help your cause.”

Cat just smiled at the prickly man, “Please Hestor, you do realize I could just look into your soul and it would tell me ALL your dirty little cosplaying secrets or just use my figure eyes and have you sing ‘Rubby Ducky’ in the middle of the guildhall.”  She had her baby blues flash green to drive the point home.

Hestor cleared his throat, “Anyway onto our bargain…” he pulled out a key and summoned the spirit Cat had requested. He was hoping that Kek-t would be especially spiteful to the blonde. He hated being threatened to reveal his secrets. Those secrets were his to reveal to his One.

Kek-t manifested into the mortal plane at her master’s bidding. She felt another presence in the room. She was behind him and gripped his shoulders hard as she peaked around her key holder. She could feel that this wasn’t a combat training situation for they were in his private dwelling. She looked at the girl in the room with them. Her red eyes narrowed but she felt no ill will from her, a hint of uneasiness maybe, but she was not a threat to her master. She felt something else from the girl. Something on her person. She moved around in front of her master, “What is it you wish from me? There are no enemies for me to vanquish in this dwelling. Unless,” her eyes glittered with excitement as she looked at Cat, “this girl is a willing sacrifice for me, because I have been such a most loyal spirit, yes?”

Cat had only been with the Blood Hunter for a few months. She had suffered at the hands of Seth. She had helped Grammie with some particularly dark souls that were trapped in this realm, but this celestial spirit took the cake. Never once had she been looked at as a meal. In those deep red eyes promised an end to everything. For a split second, Cat contemplated it. Let this spirit take her soul from her body and rid it into non-existence forever. She shook her head from that train of thoughts, “Uh, no I brought you something. A…gift…of sorts.” She explained.

Kek-t looked between her master and the blonde girl. She could feel her master irritation with the interaction. She knew he liked to play the part of ‘I am scary sociopath now leave me be’ and she usually played along but this girl saw past his façade. It peeked her interest so she ignored her master’s growl as she went closer to the other mage. “What do you have girl that would be of any interest to me?” She glared at the girl.

Cat wouldn’t admit it to Hestor even on her death bed, that this spirit was scary as fuck. Those red eyes peering right into her very soul. She now knew how other felt when she did it. Her blue eyes never leaving the red pair. The spirit’s face so close she could feel her breath on her cheeks. Her hand went into the bag on her shoulder and snagged the jar she had in there and pulled it up and put it between their faces.

Cat watched the hard glare melt into a soft expression as she held the soul up to the spirit, “I brought you this. I don’t know what else to do with it and I’m pretty sure there will be more…”

Kek-t stomach growled at moment. She knew that such gifts didn’t come without a price. Everything comes with a price. She looked at her master, “She a brought me a…treat…what is the contract between you and the girl? Call me back when the contract has been ironed out.” With that, she was gone in a swirl of stardust.

Hestor had very rare flabbergasted look on his young face. His spirit wanted him to enter in a contract with this seith mage so that she could eat the souls that she brought her. “What the hell did you do to her? On a good day, she smiles when she says she’s going to eat my soul while I sleep. You…you just come in here and basically offer her candy and she’s all like make a contract because I want that candy, dad.”

Cat smiled at the flustered mage, “I’m a girl; she’s a girl; candy bridges all gaps no matter what. Now let’s negotiate.”

Hestor looked at Kaleb who had a troubled look on his face. “How long have you two been doing this? I mean the ban has been in place since she and Bix were fifteen, and the Steel Council had given Grendace leeway for her since she was already a member in the Blood Hunters.”

“We would meet weekly until she was sent to Magnolia two years ago. She, just kinda fell off the grid until now.” Hestor said as he sipped his tea.

“Bix said she started working again a few days after Beck left so she’s got about six or seven weeks’ worth of assassination contracts. I have a testy beast master who is hopefully with her right now. Are you sure you want me to leave when they get back…” Kaleb offered worried about what will take place in his office. The space wasn’t his concern but what was going to happen in it. He was breaking the law by allowing a seith mage or two back in Bosco. He had the room heavily runed and even had Rowan grow the plants taller to cover the windows better.

_________________

Beck and Cat lay in the king sized bed. Both panting and covered in sweat. They were more relaxed than they had been in weeks. Cat rolled over on her side. She took in the fingernail marks on his chest the bit mark on his left shoulder and the hickies that were in random places. She smiled at her handy work. She knew his back had nail marks on it as well. She smiled at him as she lightly ran a hand over his chest. His breathing was slowing down. She kissed his nipple and got a playful growl, “That was fun. We should do it like that again, although looking at what’s left of my clothes I don’t think my wardrobe can take it THAT often.” She giggled.

She went to move to get dressed knowing that Cristoff would be back soon. Beck grabbed her arm gently and pulled her back to him. He kissed her gently. At first, he didn’t say anything but his eyes roved over her making sure he didn’t hurt her. He looked for bruises. He didn’t mind rough sex and enjoyed immensely the marks and love bites she put on him, but he didn’t want her to look like she did when she was fifteen. Those bruises that Seth had put on her burned in his memories.

Cat saw and felt the worry in him, “Sweetie, I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me. I would have told you if you did. Don’t think about that douche bag. He’s dead. Vander took care of him. He became void shit, if those things shit. Look at me. You did everything I wanted you to annnd I would do it again.” She placed a loving kiss on his soft lips.

_I’m not too sure the room would hold up to all that wild fuckery again._ Tito said as the spirit took in the room. It was a mess. Remnants of what were Cat’s clothes strewed around the room, pictures on the wall askew. _Sheesh big man whadyado fuck her up against the wall? When Laxus stayed in here it wasn’t this messy. And that guy was a beast…pun intended._

“Tito shut the fuck out or you’re going in the bead…” Beck listened to Cat start threatening the annoying spirit. He was relaxed and didn’t really care what Tito did. He had Cat where she should be but he wasn’t relaxed enough. He pushed his magic out and found a squirrel nearby. He called to it and it came to the window. It peered through the window expectantly and waited.

Beck grinned he wondered if he could do it. He sent the new feeling in his magic towards Tito and once he felt like he had a grip on the ornery spirit he channel it towards the squirrel. He watched the eyes of the squirrel flash gold and then its demeanor changed. It banged on the window a few times and then ran off. He started laughing, “There not sure how much peace and quiet that will give us but I’m not ready to move yet. I just want to basked in you. And thank you. I was worried that I had hurt you.” He pulled her closer him and let out a long breath.

Cat let him settle her back down against him but she was gobsmacked. What did he just do to Tito? Where did Tito go? “Beck, what did you do to Tito and why did that squirrel look angry?”

“Oh I put Tito in the squirrel so he could enjoy being ‘alive’ again. I don’t know how I knew how to do it. It just came to me. I tried it and well he’s a squirrel, temporarily of course he’ll come back.” He smiled as he snuggled into her.

It as a few hours before Cristoff decided to come back to the brownstone. He talked to Bix until they shipped off for Tenrou Island for their S-Class trails. He’d be back in a few days. He wished his brother luck. When he opened the door, an angry squirrel darted in ahead of him. He didn’t think anything of it being around a beast master mage most of his life. He smelled sex in the air but didn’t hear the sounds of it. He figured it must be safe to knock on the door.

Knocking on the door, he heard peels of laughter from both Beck and Cat and the chattering of one angry squirrel. Cristoff was not prepared for the scene of a fluffed up red squirrel sitting on Beck’s chest chattering away in ‘squirrel’. Beck seemed to know exactly what was said and Cat as well. He watched Beck’s blue eye flash green and the squirrel calmed down and left the room. “I’ll get the door while you two get dressed.” Cristoff offered.

A few minutes later, the couple came out with a decent sized box in tow. Cristoff could hear the jingle of the glass jars inside the box as Cat changed positions. He looked at her with a soft look, “They’ve been working you again. A lot by the looks of it haven’t they.”

Cat looked sheepishly, “Uh, yeah. I really would like to not do all of this…” She trailed off. “Oh, Beck in the kitchen the cabinet next to the refrigerator there is a box that says ‘Rat Poison’. Grab it for me.”

Beck and Cristoff both looked confused, but he went and grabbed the box, “Uh, why are we taking rat poison it us?”

“It’s for Hestor…” Both men bristled.

“Cat I know you don’t like him all that well…” Cristoff started.

“Oh hush Cris let me finish. Look inside the box. Should be a tin of Stellan Honey Biscuits unopened. Have you ever tried to keep food from Bix? That’s the only way I can keep shit from him.” She rolled her eyes at the two men, “Really you two thought I would kill the only way I have to dispose of these. I’m a bitch but not a cold hearted one, sheesh.”

They both chuckled. Cristoff said, “Nope I understand keeping Bix outta food you don’t want him in is impossible. His gut rivals mine.”

Beck came over, switched boxes with her, and kisses the top of her head, “I still love you no matter what.”

Cat laughed, “No you’re just stuck with me.” She smiled. “Oh wait I have one more thing for Hestor since I don’t know when I ‘m going to see him again.” She disappeared into her bedroom. It really was a mess now, but she knew where she kept it. She went over to her chest of drawers, found the small black box in her underwear drawer, and threw it inside the rat poison box. She went back out and was ready to go.

_____________________________

Minty mist filled Kaleb’s office heralding to the mindbender that his brother was returning from Magnolia. The other thing that told him that his brother made it back with Cat in tow was the girly squeals from the woman. She had launched herself at him and hugged him for all that she was worth. It made him happy to see a smile on her face. He hadn’t seen one there since she was a child running around the guild with Vander terrorizing people with pranks. She gave him a peck on the cheek before she turned her sites on the other mage in the room. He could tell that the bonding with Beck had been a blessing for both of them.

Hestor had watched the energetic woman damn near tackle Kaleb, hug him, and just over all touch him. He felt his anxiety rise because he knew he would probably be next in line for those affections. He looked at Beck who was grinning like a Cheshire cat and met his gaze because he knew what that infernal woman was going to do to him. He tried to move but realized his boot wouldn’t move. He could move his foot but his boot was somehow pinned to the floor.

He watched her finish hugging on Kaleb. He watched in horror as if time slowed down, the blonde turned around with a big toothy grin, “Hestor!” as she launched her petite body at him.

Cat stopped short of the cringing wide-eyed celestial mage. She gave him a peck on the cheek, and held out the box that was labelled ‘rat poison’. She knew he detested public displayed of social interaction that’s why she had Tito hold his boot in place so he couldn’t run. She released Tito from the boot so he was now free to do whatever he wanted.

Hestor eyed the box after he tamped down the anxiety the damnable woman induced, “Rat poison? How mundane for you to use to kill me. I figured my death from you would be a grand fight to the death with you finally winning and pulling out my soul feeding it to Kek-t, because that’s what you two have planned isn’t it?” He gave her a weary glare.

“Maybe prickly but that box is just a ruse to keep Bixy out of it. It’s close to New Year’s and I won’t be around for it anyway so I brought you two gifts.” She smiled. She could for the first time feel Hestor’s inner most emotions. She felt his excitement and joy, like a child would getting a present.

Hestor felt a familiar magic coming from the box. He reached in a pulled out a box of Stellan Honey Biscuits. He eyes widened at where they were made, his favorite bakery in Stella. He looked up at her, “How…”

“Uh, uh ,ah. A lady never reveals her secrets. Let’s just say I know a guy.” She smiled. She couldn’t wait for him to get to the small velvet bag in the bottom. “There’s one more in there, silly. I swear give you some biscuits…” she laughed.

Hestor eyed her suspiciously. He knew she was notorious for pranks. He half expected one, but when his hand went back into the box, he fished out a velvet bag. He felt the magic that felt then he pulled the biscuits out.

He dropped the rat poison box and held the velvet bag. His eyes wide open as he slowly pulled the key out. It was dark matte gunmetal gray with a raven wing on the keyed end and an off kiltered “H” on the handled end. “Wha…how…where did you get this key? This…this is a key from the Uru key set. No one has seen one the since the holy wars ended centuries ago…”

Cat smiled at the awestruck mage, “Yes, yes, Uru key set blah, blah, blah rare metal from a now long empty mine in Iceberg needs holy fire to forge, yes I know all this. Tell me what key it is. The runes are older than what Grammie taught me. I’m not a celestial mage, but I do read books. I found it on a guy and thought of you.” She almost bounced in excitement.

Hestor filed what Cat had rushed by for later. He had questions about that little speech, “Uh, this is the key for Hugin, one of the ravens for the Alfather himself, Odin.”

Before Hestor had a chance to summon the spirit that was tied to the key, Kek-t appeared without him summoning her. “Master? You’re giddy? Are you ill?” Red eyes looked over the mage. She zeroed in on the key in his hands, “Key of Hugin. Interesting. Do you think that Ermine will get along with him?”

Cat recognized her spirit friend when she formed in the room. She knew not to startled the spirit unless she wanted her own soul ripped out of her chest. She gently called her name, “Kek-t? It’s Catrina. I brought you…snacks…for you and your sisters.”

Kek-t turned and looked at her friend. She hadn’t seen her physically in years. She looked at the tall man with green hair holding the box that she knew held the souls and back to Catrina. She watched Catrina get the box from the man. The man kissed her friend. She looked at her Master and the other two mages in the room. She let Catrina come to her with the box of souls. When she did, she grabbed the blonde and both of them disappeared to the spirit realm leaving stardust sparkling in the air.

Beck went from exuberantly happy to seeing red. Cristoff was quicker to the man than Kaleb but Kaleb wasn’t a slouch getting to the beast master. He knew he couldn’t kill Hestor but he could hurt the man, “Hestor! Where the FUCK did she take Cat! You NEED to get her back NOW!” he roared. He couldn’t get through the two Pradesh brothers. He felt Kaleb touch his mind. _Calm down she went to the spirit realm. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Relax or I’ll have Cristoff put you out like a light._

He took a few big breaths, let them out, and started pacing. He ran his hand through his hair and they settled on the braids in his hair. He started running his fingers over them and that calmed him down further. He normally didn’t lose his cool like that but this was Cat, the love of his life, his mate. The bond he felt it but it was faint very faint. He dealt with The Steel Council keeping them apart, the fucking seith magic ban barring her from Bosco, but one of Hestor’s spirits just taking her to the celestial realm with no rhyme or reason. He needed to sit down.

“Beck I had no idea she was going to do that you have to believe me. She’ll be ok in the spirit realm…” Hestor tried to calm the big man. This was not like Kek-t  to just whisk away anyone like this.

Cat felt a wave of nausea wash over her but she held down what she had in her stomach. She had done void hopper with Vander many times, but whatever the fuck she just did with Kek-t that was a first. She bent over to calm her stomach and took a deep breath. She felt a hand on her back, “Catrina you will be ok. I brought you here to the celestial realm so that we may talk in private. My sisters have questions as well. Come sit bring the snacks.”

Kek-t settled herself down on the large overstuffed couch. She patted next to her for Cat to sit next to her. “Come you know I won’t bite…much.” She grinned.

Cat made her way over to the couch and sat down. The couch was nothing like she had every sat on before. She just sank right into the deep cushions. “Kek-t, why doesn’t Hestor have this couch? I could stay here for days.”

Kek-t rolled her eyes, “That’s why he doesn’t have it. You wouldn’t leave. Now tell me where have you been for the last forever? You haven’t brought me anything in years. Look at how I have starved?” The spirit mocked. Kek-t wasn’t normally concerned for any mortal other than her master but this mortal felt different. She felt like the seith mages in the temples of Anubis in southern Stella.

Cat was used to the spirit’s drama and didn’t hold back, “Yes you looked like skin and bones. Now would you like to tell me why you yanked me into the Spirit Realm, made me sick and now are admonishing me for being essentially put on inactive duty for the last two years. As much as I enjoyed you friendship, I despise the reason WHY we are friends in the first place. I hate being a Blood Hunter. I hate what they make me do. I HATE what they have done to me. I miss my sister and Grammie…” Cat just let it all out on her stellar friend because she knew that the spirit wouldn’t say anything to any mortal because unbeknownst to Hestor they had their own contract. It was a contract of friendship and the pact of not sharing certain secrets with anyone unless the other deemed it ok.

Kek-t watched her friend openly sob on the couch. She felt her sisters appear. Nanu was the one that spoke, “Why is she crying like that? She has been fulfilling her duties as a seith mage in the mortal realm. This Steel Council is happy with her performance, is it not?”

Na’eemah looked at Kek-t, “Sister there is more going on than your friend is telling us isn’t there. This is more than a simple trade for food? Tell us, Kek-t.” The taller sister with teal eyes and ombred blue hair pinned the youngest sister with a hard look.

Kek-t hissed, “You all know that there is nothing simple or free. She is being forced to kill mortals. All be it evil, immoral and corrupted souls, but she is doing it against her will. We know that the seith that inhabit the southern temples of Anubis do not kill without the will of the Gods or Goddesses. They are the Harbingers of the Slain.”

“Yes sister we know that those seith are tasked with bringing the dead to their rightful places among the heavens…” Ammit started to speak but stopped when the felt Lethe arrive.

Lethe did not speak. She looked at all her sisters and then the mortal woman crying on the couch. She could feel the past traumatic memories and recoiled slightly. She walked to the sobbing blonde, grabbed her chin and made eye contact. Baby blue eyes met black and blue irises, “Speak Catrina, tell us what happened to make you shed these tears of fear, regret, hate, and sorrow.”

___________________________

Beck had calmed himself down but he was still wrestling with his emotions. He was angry but he was angry at the wrong person. Kaleb was trying to change the subject by talking to him about the progress he was making on the Magic Council and the ban. He told him that Farron and his father were making head way as well in the government. He smiled at the progress and thanked Kaleb and to have him send his gratitude to his older brother and father.

While the two were talking, stardust started to swirl in the office, Hestor and Beck sat up straighten in their respective seats.

Kek-t, Lethe, and Cat appeared in the office in front of Hestor. The two spirits pinned him with hard stares and Kek-t spoke, “We have had a filling meal, thanks you Master for allowing us to have this contract with Catrina.” She looked at Lethe who nodded at her and vanished, “At the behest of Lethe, Master, I am to deliver the memories of Catrina that she extracted to the mindbender, only.” She raised a shapely eyebrow at the other two men in the room.

Kaleb let the memories fill his mind. He held a steady poker face of what was shown to him. Even the memories of what transpired between Cat and Vander in Seth’s bedroom along with the horrors that she had endured alone with that mad man. He was glad that Beck wasn’t able to see these memoires.

Once Kek-t finished her tasked, she follow suit of her sister. Cat was still weaving on her feet fighting the nausea again, but this time her stomach won. She vomited down Hestor’s black silk pants and onto his patent leather boots. She fell to her knees and throw up again, “Sorry Hes, planer travel apparently doesn’t agree with me.”

Beck rushed over and gathered her up. He was going to take her back to his place ban or no ban. He felt her sag into his chest as he carried her bridal style out of Kaleb office. He dared anyone to say a word to him. He was going to take care of her no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thanks Nightmare Senshi again for her help with Hestor and the sisters. There are some other things we have been talking about that will probably be flesh out more as this story goes along. Yes this story just got a wee bit bigger than intended, lol. I mean we have to find out where the hell did Grammie go?
> 
> Anywho, Thanks to Desna1 for letting play with her characters and her beastly man Beck. And Hiro for creating the Fairy Tail universe.


	8. Spirits Convene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to dedicate this chapter to Desna1 and Nightmare Senshi (Saraphin). Without them this chapter wouldn't have happened.

Spirits Convene

_Fire is burning; Casting a shadow; People are watching; Waiting for the fall; Whispers are creeping; Under the gallows; People are talking; We could lose it all – Lyrics from Gallows by Katie Garfield_

It was early morning, birds chirping, and wildlife doing whatever they did right before the goddamn sun rose above the horizon. Cat sat up and ran to the bathroom. She dry heaved. Nothing like drying heaving to start my morning, she thought. I must be coming down with something. She splashed water on her face and looked in the mirror; yeah I must be getting sick I’m pale as shit. She crept back to bed and snuggled up against the solid form in their bed. He was warm and cuddly and…nope back to the bathroom, round two. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail because this time her stomach decided that lunch from yesterday was coming back up. She heard Beck shift around in the bed and call out, “Cat you ok?”

“Yep, just fine. My stomach decided that I needed to give offerings to the porcelain god here.” More dry heaving.

“You don’t sound fine…want me to call Cristoff?” He asked as he tried to come into the bathroom only to have the door slammed in his face and more sounds of vomiting came from the other side.

“No! Don’t you dare call him! It’s just a virus. I’ll be fine promise. Probably ate some bad food. Hestor warned me not to order from that knock off Stellan restaurant.” She said as she laid her head on the cool ring of the toilet.

Cat had been stuck in Beck apartment for seven weeks. Seven weeks she had basically been an inmate because of that stupid magic ban. She didn’t dare leave the apartment for fear of being caught. It would have put not only her at risk but Beck as well. Lex would come visit her. It was great having to see her sister again. It was also great not having to sleep alone or never not having pleasure with Beck. That made up for more than being a self-imposed inmate.  She was able to celebrate New Year’s at home. Home she never thought she would be able to call Pelerno home again. Now she shared an apartment with her promised.

_I think I know what’s wrong with you…_

“Shut up or you WILL go in the bead for a week.” She warned Tito.

“Why are you telling Tito to shut up?” Beck call through the door. He abandoned it to get dressed.

“Because Tito is an ass. Do I really need a reason to yell at him?” She called back. “Are you going to the guild early since I woke you up?”

“Yeah, gonna go check the mama wolf that was brought in two days ago to see if she delivered yet. You sure you don’t want me to call Cristoff?”

Cat tried to sound as nice as possible even though she was feeling like death warmed over, “Honey let me put it to you this way, if you call that scale less lizard man over here at five in the morning, you will be sleeping down there with the mama wolf and not with me. I feel like shit and look like shit. It’s probably a virus. It will pass.”

“Ooookkkk, someone is extra cranky this morning. I’d kiss you but I don’t want whatever it is you have.” His response was another dry heave.

Cat was hoping that she was finished long enough to do what she needed to do. She crawled over to the sink and pulled out the box of tampons that called it home. She opened the box and fished out the home pregnancy test that was in there. She hid it there because she knew that Beck would not look in her box of tampons for any reason. She read the instructions and opened the package.

_You already know what it gonna say. Why bother? You’ve been in denial for like what? A week._

“You know I didn’t ask for your opinion. Would you like to go be a squirrel again? I’m pretty sure I can arrange that smartass.” She capped the test, set it on the sink, and waited.

After the recommended three minutes, Cat picked it up and stared at the bright blue plus sign on the test. She took a big breath held it and let it out blowing up into the hair hanging on her forehead. “Well mama wolf isn’t the only one having puppies.”

_Oh god does that mean you’re having puppies cause I mean you two have done it that way A LOT!_

“Shut up asshole. Where is my phone?” Cat got up and shuffled out into the bedroom. She needed to call Lex. “Fuck I can’t use my phone.” Beck had gotten her removed from taking jobs for a while due to an ‘injury’ and Cristoff had signed off on it saying it was an extensive injury. It required weeks of healing and would require several weeks of therapy post healing, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t being watched. She sighed and started crying as she sank onto the couch in their modest living room.

Beck was down in the indoor pens checking on the mother wolf.  He noticed that she was pacing and appeared uncomfortable. He felt that she was in labor. He had made sure last night that her pen had clean bedding, water and was secure. He tried to feel Cat through their link but the past week she has almost shut him out. She’s been short tempered, moody and just over all in a lousy mood. He just chalked it up to her having PMS. He knew that wasn’t fair to brush everything on her monthly visitor, but she wasn’t talking. He also figured she might be getting a little stir crazy in their apartment. He sighed heavily. He wished he could take her out for dinner but with that damn ban in place, it was a no go.

He pulled out his Lphone and called Lex. He knew that she always cheered Lex up and he generally got a delicious family secret meal out of it. Putting those two together brought out all kinds of clan traditions and cooking was a major one for them apparently. “Lex, how are you doing? Good. No, she’s feeling sick. Says she ate some shady Stellan food last night. Thanks. See you tonight for dinner then? OK, bye.” He finished the call and was happy that the mother wolf was secured. He was confident she would deliver on her own. He made his way to the guildhall.

Lex gathered up her spices that she kept in spice rack and some of her needlepoint she had been working on between jobs. Beck had come to see her several weeks ago and invited her over to his apartment one evening and to her surprise Cat was there. They had hugged and stayed up all night talking and catching up.

She knocked on the door and waited. Knocked again and no answer. “It’s me Lex…” she started. The door opened but no one was there that she could see that opened the door. Lex figured she must be sick if Tito opened the door. Her sister was usually ecstatic when she came over.

Lex walked to the kitchen and put her oversized bag on the counter. “Cat? Where are you? Beck called and said you were feeling sick. You want me to call Crist….” She called out but was interrupted by a groan that came from the master bedroom.

Lex found Cat hugging the toilet in the master bedroom. Her hair up in a ponytail but she had strands stuck to her forehead and cheek. “Why does everyone think that I need to go see him?” She half whined half groaned.

“Fine, I won’t bother him…yet. Would you like me to make you some tea and get some cracker for you?” Lex asked her ill sister.

All Cat could manage was to shake her head. She even let Lex help her up and walk her out to the couch. She wasn’t sure if she should tell Lex or not about the pregnancy test. She knew she should so she wouldn’t push seeing Cristoff. “Uh, Lex. I need to tell you something…”

Lex finished putting the water on the stove, pulled out two mugs, and sat on the couch with her sister. “OK you have my full attention. What do you need to tell me?” She smiles at Cat.

Cat sat up and started wringing her hands, “There is a reason I don’t want to go see Cristoff about me being sick.”

Lex tilted her and looked at her quizzically, “Oh please do tell. I’m dying to know…”

Cat ducked her head and pulled the little plastic stick from her bra where she was hiding it. She handed it Lex, “It’s because I already know why I’m sick. I’m pregnant, Lex.” She looked at her sister searching her face for her reaction.

“This isn’t one of your pranks? You really are pregnant?” Lex had a smile spread across her face. “I’m going to be an auntie?” her voice was getting higher in pitch.

Cat was smiling back at her sister, “Yes you’re going to be an auntie.” They had grabbed either others hands and were shaking them and then hugging.

“Oh have you told Beck yet? Does he know?” Lex looked expectedly at her.

“No I haven’t. I took the test after he left this morning. I’m nervous about how he’ll react. We’ve been promised for less than a year and the ban…” the blonde looked away. She felt guilty for not telling him right away and scared of what will happen when she delivers the baby with the ban in place.

The teakettle whistled. Lex got the tea and crackers. “I’m calling Cristoff. You need to have an initial exam. Don’t look at me like that. We have to make sure that both of you are healthy and get you on a schedule for checkups and vitamins…” the strawberry blonde prattle off a list of things.

Cat stopped listening. The reality of everything was setting in. They were having a baby! She opened up the shields that she had put up last week because she wasn’t sure of what was happening. She grabbed Lex’s phone off the counter and called Cristoff’s number. It was still early and knew that he would probably be in the gym.

______________________

Cristoff’s phone went off while he and Beck were finishing lifting weights. He recognized the number and took the call while beck put away the weights. Hestor was oddly in the gym. He had come down to speak with Beck. “Gods it smells like old gym socks down here.” The celestial mage said as he wrinkled his nose.

Beck chuckled and wiped the sweat from his face, “Then why are you down here? There are no bay windows or hunky platinum blond mindbenders to stare at here.” He grinned at the stellar mage. He started feeling Cat’s emotions through their bond. He could feel her happiness and joy. He thought Lex must have cheered her up.

Hestor looked at the green haired man and pegged him with a hard stare, “How would you know…my secret, Beastie?” he whispered.

Beck whispered back with a smile, “Four words. Promised. To. A. Seith.” He held up his right hand and wiggled his ringed finger at the man.

Hestor moved on with the conversation not wanting to get any deeper into his own secrets, “Yes, how could I forget that woman. Speaking of your promised, that is why I’m down here in this stinking pit of sweat. Kek-t wishes to see her and I don’t know how to contact her.”

“Boys I hate to interrupt but, uh, Lex…needs both of us to come meet her at your apartment.” Cristoff looked at Hestor and then Beck. “I’ll leave it you man if you want shorty to come with us. I’m gonna go shower first.”

“I’m not short! I’m a giant among titans in Bosco!” Hestor called out after Cristoff as he left for the shower room.

“Grab your keys prickly. I’m sure Lex has something to soothe that thorny attitude of yours. See you upstairs where the air doesn’t offend your delicate nose.” Beck said as he followed Cristoff.

______________________

 Lex had fixed some snacks for Cristoff. She knew his bottomless dragon gut. She had baked her sugar cookies that the dragon slayer loved. In fact, he and Vander would fight over the cookies when they were younger. She had asked them once if Mr. Elan ever made them sugar cookies. They told her ‘yes’ but there was just something about hers that tasted so good. She told them it was a secret family ingredient.  She had gotten Cat settled on the couch with a cup of ginger, raspberry leaf and spearmint tea with crackers. Thanking the Gods and Goddesses that she was keeping things down.

Cat felt her anxiety building as she felt Beck getting closer. When she heard his voice mixed with others outside the door, she thought she was going to hyperventilate. Thankfully, Lex came over, sat by her, held her hand, and soothed her.

Beck opened the door first letting the other two men through the followed in behind. He snagged a cookie from the plate of them before Cristoff demolished them all. He made his way over to Cat, sat down beside her, and pulled her close. He kissed her temple, “You look like you’re feeling better. I like when you’re not hanging over the toilet singing the praises to the porcelain god.”

Cristoff sat there eating the plate of cookies. He offered one to Hestor. Mostly to keep the man occupied for a moment. Lex had told him on the phone why he needed to come over and not to say anything. He watched Lex elbow Cat in the ribs to get her to talk. He knew this was going to be great watching Beck receive this news. He was happy for him, both of them.

“Ow Lex! Stop it!” Cat whined as she rubbed her ribcage.

“Do it or I’m going to do it.” Lex warned.

“What are you two arguing over?” Beck looked at both of them. He was used to them arguing but Cat was too submissive in this to be some silly argument. That was like her. She was normally a wildcat in everything they did.

Cat took a deep breath and slowly let it out, “Beck, sweetie, I wasn’t exactly honest with you this morning about eating some bad Stellan food…shut up Hestor…I’m…well…uh…I’m pregnant.” She said the last part softly.

Beck sat there and process what his promised had told him. He knew that when he brought her home almost two months ago they had been very passionate. He was shocked at first but as the shock wore off, he was…overjoyed. He was going to be a father. He pulled Cat onto his lap and kissed her. “You’re having my baby…our baby. I’m so happy right now I can’t think straight.” He was smiling so big his cheeks hurt. He cradled her in his lap and held her.

Cristoff came over and congratulated the happy couple. He examined Cat while she sat in Beck’s lap. He told them she was fine. She was about five weeks and two days with the normal morning sickness. Otherwise, she was healthy and the baby was healthy. That news took a lot of stress off the couples mind. The other was the seith ban. Cat was still in Bosco illegally.

Lex cleared her throat, “Cristoff, I have a question for you before you go. Can she travel? I need to take her to Daevale in Stella. And are you available to take us? I don’t want anyone else in the room to know that she is in Bosco.”

Hestor spoke up first, “Why would she need to go to Daevale? Neither of you are celestial mages.” His normal gruff was gone. He honestly didn’t know why two Boscan women needed to go to a Stellan town.

“Well Hestor when you want to share your secrets with me, I’ll share my secrets with you. Just remember that not everything in Stella is related to celestial mages. You are just descendant of one of the founding families. And you seem to like those cookies a great deal. Why do you think those cookies taste so good?” Lex giggled.

“Lex, are you sure she needs to Stella?” Beck asked. He wasn’t too thrilled about his now pregnant promised being far from him. Let alone in Stella, but then he look around the apartment. He felt awful about how she’s been cooped up all this time. “Never mind, take her to Daevale. It will be good for her to get out of her.” He kissed Cat again.

____________________

Kaleb sat at the Magical Council trying to hold his smile back. They had just lifted the ban on seith magic His father, Arman Pradesh, had just told him through the family link that information to take down the corruption in the Steel Council was validated along with the memories he had shared to only his father of the horrible ordeal Cat and Vander had went through. Kaleb was also given the ordeal that Presca had suffered by losing his wife infant daughter, and rest of his family.

Vander and Presca had provided them each with copies of video, files, and voice recordings that incriminated three members of the Steel Council, Captain Grendace and several other of corruption, coercion, blackmail, treason.

Arman was able to get the government to repel the seith ban in Bosco. He was happy this meant that when Bixlow and the rest of the missing Fairy Tail member were found his son could return home. He was disgusted by what they had done to Sylvia’s granddaughter. He had watched her grow up smiling and bubbly, always joined at the hip to Vander. He was anger with the Steel Council for essentially kidnapping Vander into their ranks as well. Vander was a prodigy for the Sudehpah Order. He was supposed to have stayed and grown among their order. Vander was tight lipped about happened while he a recruit.

Until Kaleb had told him the news that Catrina had found her soulmate with Beck Fashion, he had wondered if the two were somehow meant for each other. Alas, it was just a friendship forged in mischief, pranks, and sugar cookies. He laughed to himself as he made his way out of his office. He had one hell of a day of negotiating.

The Magic Council was about to conclude when Hestor entered the meeting. “What is the meaning of this? This is a closed meeting of the Magic Council. An audience is not permit…” the President of the Council started to demand.

Hestor was joined by four other mages. They were trying to stop him. They were all in Beck and Cat’s apartment enjoying the happy new about the pregnancy when Hestor abruptly decided that he NEEDED to go for a walk.  None of them could stop him. Not even Cristoff with his sleep magic. When he tried, Kek-t appeared and threatened bodily harm. The petite spirit was beautiful yet deadly and made Cristoff think twice about her threats. She told him that her master was on a task and was not to be stopped. So the four mages followed him to the Magical Council.

“Silence, I am here to convene the Hall of Truth. There have been wrong committed on some that the spirit realm demands justice.” Hestor said in a voice that was hollow. His steel blue eyes burned as he looked at the Magic Council. He made no movement nor answered any questions. He stood there and swayed.

Kaleb had seen this happen once or twice in the past. The Hall Two of Truth was calling him. It needed to right a wrong in the celestial laws. He hated when this happened. It knocked him out for a few days. He was trying to think why this was happening. Kek-t appeared in front of him. Her eerie red eyes peered into his pale lavender ones.

“My master told you of the contract that he has with Catrina, yes?” Kaleb shook his head. “He told you that I asked what the price was for the souls that she has provided me and my sister. Catrina assured him that there was no price for the snacks, so he entered into contract with her without knowing that SHE was the one paying the price for the rewards we reaped. I have shared with you her memories of being raped, beaten, and isolated from her soulmate and sister for years. Now you and your family have lifted this ban that will allow her to live freely with her mate. Free to raise their family. We wish to pay her back putting those that have hurt her and others for years for their own greed and power on trial. My master will have no recollection of this. You know that. He is merely a vessel for us to bring the Hall of Truth to the mortal realm to repay my friend for her sacrifice.”

Before the president of the magic council was stopped by the magic of the Hall of Truth an alert went out to the Knights and the Blood Hunters that there was a disturbance at the council. General Tesso and Captain Grendace along with knights and a few blood hunters arrived in time to see the magic council transform.

Granite and sandstone began to curl out from where Hestor and Kaleb were located. Slowly the Hall of Two Truth revealed itself to mortals that should witness. Pillars with ancient writing scrawled in gold rose up creating a semi-circle with a large golden scale sitting in the middle. The sisters of Ammit and the brothers of Ma’at appeared around the scale.  Libra appeared in front of the scales.

Libra’s voice rang out in the Hall, “We convene the Hall of Two Truths to pass judgement. The accused, please Abraxis and Eshaq bring them forward so that that the charges can be read.”

The two brothers looked at each other and grinned as they marched forward and grabbed not to gently yanked Captain Grendace forward. The fashioned him to one of the pillars. Abraxis made sure that his vines were especially tight on the sputtering man’s wrists.

Grendace cried out, “What is the meaning of this? I’m not subject to YOUR laws. I’m neither a celestial wizard nor a spirit…”

“Silence mortal! I’m getting to what you are charged with if you would just shut up.” Libra demanded.

Kek-t appeared in front of the tall man. She wasn’t the least bit afraid of the man. She looked at Abraxis and then back at the man, “Brother, let me rip out his tongue that will silence him.” Her red eyes glowed with bloodlust. She knew this was the man that put Catrina through so much hell.

“As much as I would love to let you Kek-t, I can’t allow it and you know that.” His jade eyes matching the same blood lust as her own.

Libra lifted a finely sculpted eyebrow, “Are you two done discussing dismemberment so that we can get one with this? I have other things to do today.”

Grendace was horrified over what the two spirits were discussing on doing to him. He struggled against the restraints that caused only more pain.

“Ok then,” Libra continued, “Captain Grendace you are hereby charged with threatening a minor norn of Freya, and three of the last descendants of the Hltose family. Also you are charge with the responsibility of the rapes, multiple beatings, isolation and forcing of a sacred Stellan Seith to murder people for your own power and greed. Sir, your charges are so long that by the time I am done reading them the mortals here would be nothing but bones that not even the time stopping power of the hall has." She paused, smirking. “Basically what I’m saying is that you are a nasty little douche bag.”

“I’m innocent. I didn’t do any of those things to that little bitch or her grandmother. Seth did that to keep her little ass in line. If she wasn’t such a mouthy cunt and did what she was told Seth wouldn’t have had to beat her. I did tell him that she wasn’t his property!” Grendace broke trying to sway the celestial spirits.

There was a loud growl. Beck had heard enough he tried to charge the man tied to the pillar. He wanted blood, but he found that he wasn’t able to move. All he could do was stand there and watch. He knew cat didn’t like to talk about what happened and he never pushed her, but to hear it out loud in a public setting like this angered him.

“Shut up! This isn’t up for debate. You’re guilty. Ammit you may take his soul and place it on the scale. Ma’at, your feather please.”

Ammit walked over to the struggling man and placed her hand on his chest. Her eyes glowed golden as her hand slammed onto his chest. Grendace feel the pain of the spirit’s smack onto his chest but that was not what made him scream. He felt the inside of his chest burn as she pulled out a dark black flame. She held the small flame in her hand and looked at Libra, “Lady Libra, do we really need to weigh this soul against Ma’at feather? Its dense and dark and heavy like a black dwarf star.”

“Ammit, rules are rules. Just…put it on the scale.” Libra glared at Ammit.

The golden scale almost tip over when the black soul was placed on the empty plate of the scale. It had dropped so quickly. It was so heavy when it hit the ground; it made a resounding clunking noise. The sound echoed through the Magic Council Chambers. None of the spirits were surprised. Ammit just rolled her eyes and looked at Libra with an ‘I told you so’ look.

“The scales have spoken Captain. Your soul is so dark and filled with evil acts…” Libra started.

Kek-t was impatient. The scales had spoken. She knew this man let all the horrible things happen to Catrina, her only mortal friend outside her Master. She dashed to the scale, snatched the black soul off the plate on the floor, and waltzed up to the squirming man where Abraxis was standing. The two exchanged looks and devious smiles. Her eyes narrowed on the man as she came face to face to Grendace. “I have never had a soul so…filled with evil or malice as this one. Catrina is my friend and has paid dearly for what? For you to get puppets in political seats of power? Line your bank accounts with more jewel? I know you know she has killed children for you. This whole hall knows that she did.” Kek-t looked at Cat, “We never devoured those innocent souls instead we gave them to Anubis to guide to the afterlife.” She turned her attention back to Grendace. “A quick death is not good enough for you. You have hurt too many.”

“Kek-t are you saying you don’t want to devour his soul?” Abraxis asked looking at her with a puzzled face.

Kek-t felt oddly conflicted. She really wanted to eat the soul but this idiot needed to suffer. She looked at Abraxis with the confliction written clearly on her delicate features. Jade eyes softened on red. He turned to Ammit who nodded her head. Beneath the pillar, the floor opened to the lake of fire. The lake of fire was reserved for souls that none of the sisters felt were deemed too evil to consume by them. The souls never really died but burned for eternity.

Kek-t hugged her sister, took that black soul in her hand and slapped it back into Grendace’s chest. Abraxis let the vines go. The man fell to the lake of fire to be forever stuck in a state of undead. Never truly living and never dying. Forever tortured in the unrelenting flames of the lake.

Libra sat there and watched the brothers and sisters dole out the punishment. She had her head in her hand and shook it, “Ok well, your punishment has been decided burn forever in the lake of fire…Why did you guys bring me again? Never mind, I know. Look I’m out.” She disappeared in a shimmer of stardust.

The Hall of Two Truths disappeared. Hestor collapsed where he stood. Kaleb caught him. Cristoff moved to the two men to check over Hestor. Kaleb told him he was fine he would be awake in either a few hours or a few days and asked for him to take them home.

Cat sagged against Beck. She felt all the memories that she thought she had buried long ago come racing forward mixed with the rage and hurt that her mate felt. She never wanted him to truly know what Seth did to her while she was a recruit. She hoped that the memories died when Vander finally killed him. She buried her head in his chest and started crying.

Beck held her. He felt her emotions. They were all over the place. He felt relief, happiness, sorrow and distress. “Shh, Cat. It’s ok. It’s ok. Let’s go home. We can talk there where it’s more private.” He started leading her out of the Magic Council. Lex followed them. She knew that they both would need her and both would have questions about what the spirits had said in there.

Lex knew more than she let on because unlike Cat, she would listen to Grammie when she talked about their clans history, magic and generations. That’s why she told Cat she would need to go to Daevale now that she was pregnant. She smiled at her sister and brother in law. There were more things coming at them than they knew.


End file.
